Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger facts for kids
Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger (born around 1575 – died March 1628) was an English composer and viol player. His family came from Italy. He lived during a time when music was changing. This period was between the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
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Life and Music of Alfonso Ferrabosco
Early Life and Royal Connections
Alfonso Ferrabosco was born in Greenwich, England. His father was the famous Italian composer Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder. Alfonso the younger was raised by Gomer van Awsterwyke. Gomer was a member of Queen Elizabeth I's royal court.
Even though his father moved to Italy, the Queen wanted Alfonso to stay in England. So, he remained in England under Awsterwyke's care. After Awsterwyke passed away in 1592, Alfonso began a long career. He became a musician for the royal court.
Working for the Royal Family
After King James I became king of both England and Scotland, Alfonso's career grew. He became the private music teacher for Prince Henry. He also worked in the private rooms of the royal palace. He earned a good salary for his work.
Alfonso was paid for writing songs for Queen Anne of Denmark. One of his famous works was for her play, The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses. This play was performed in January 1604.
Collaborations and Published Works
Alfonso Ferrabosco worked with the famous writer Ben Jonson. They created music for several royal plays called masques. These included The Masque of Blackness in 1605.
His music was published in 1609 by John Browne. This collection included songs set to poems by John Donne and Thomas Campion. It also featured music for the lute and viol. Ferrabosco often wrote in a new, expressive style called Baroque. Even though he never visited Italy, he knew a lot about Italian music of his time.
His Skill as a Viol Player
Ferrabosco was known for being an amazing viol player. He was also famous for his music written for groups of viols, called a consort. His pieces were very detailed and showed off the viol's abilities. He wrote many In Nomines, which were popular musical pieces. His In Nomines were great examples of this style.
Alfonso was also one of the first composers to write music for the lyra viol. This music used a special notation called tablature. He even wrote a book of Lessons for the lyra viol.
Later Life and Passing
Alfonso Ferrabosco often struggled with money problems. He was involved in a plan to make money from the River Thames. This plan included digging for gravel and fining people who caused problems on the river. However, the plan was not successful.
He passed away in March 1628. He was buried on March 11th at St Alfege Church. This church was in his hometown of Greenwich.
Ferrabosco's Musical Family
In January 1612, Alfonso Ferrabosco married Ellen. She was the daughter of Nicholas Lanier, who was also a musician. Alfonso and Ellen had three sons who became famous musicians:
- Alfonso Ferrabosco (died 1652)
- Henry Ferrabosco (died around 1658)
- John Ferrabosco (born 1626, died 1682)
Two of his daughters also married musicians. Elizabeth married George Bunckley. Catherine married Edward Coleman. Edward Coleman became a court musician after the king returned to power in England. Edward and Catherine were friends with the famous diarist Samuel Pepys. Both of them were known for singing in theater shows.
See Also
- Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder
- Alfonso Ferrabosco III
