A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Gastoldi, Giovanni

by Franz Gehring

GASTOLDI, Giovanni Giacomo, born at Caravaggio about the middle of the 16th century; maestro di capella in Mantua, and later in Milan (1592). He was the author of 'Balletti da suonare, cantare, e ballare' (Venice 1591–5; Antwerp 1596), which are said to have served Morley as models for his 'Ballets or Fal las.' Two of them are well known to English amateurs under the names of 'Maidens fair of Mantua's city,' and 'Soldiers brave and gallant be.' Two others, 'Viver lieto voglio,' and 'A lieta vita,' are given by Burney in his History of Music. These were adopted as Hymn tunes by Lindemann in 1597 to the words 'Jesu, wollst uns weisen,' and 'In dir ist Freude' respectively (Doring, Choralkunde, 45).

[ F. G. ]