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Salomone Rossi
August 19, 1570 - 1630
composed during the Renaissance period
Biography
The guess that Salomone Rossi was born on the date given above comes from his publication of a set of canzonettas in 1589, its acrostic table of contents, and its frequent use of the number 19. But this is a number of guesses that have been made about Rossi. For instance, it has been claimed that Rossi's father was noted historian Azariah de' Rossi, which is strange since Azariah himself said in his biography (1573) that he had no surviving son. The musicologist Alfred Einstein advanced the theory that there were actually two composers named Salomone Rossi, but this had been discredited. While there are several musicians named Rossi in Mantuan history, Salomone Rossi does not appear to be related to any of them except for his sister, the famous singer who went by the stage name of Madama Europe.

What is most likely is that he spent his entire career in Mantua and was probably connected with or enjoyed the favor of the court of the Duke of Mantua. Rossi's first publication, the Canzonettas, was dedicated to Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga and its first piece is dedicated to the Duke and his Duchess. Rossi also dedicated his next publication, a book of five-part madrigals, to Vincenzo. In addition, Vincenzo exempted Rossi from the requirement to wear the yellow badge that otherwise was mandatory for Mantuan Jews.