Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/A/Alessandro, Romano

by John Weeks Moore

Alessandro, Romano, a singer admitted into the pope's chapel in 1560, was like-wise so exquisite a performer on the viol, that he obtained the cognomen of Alessandro della Viola. He composed motets accompanied by many instruments, which seem to have been the first of the kind. Adami says that Alessandro Romano also invented canzonets for four and five voices.