Gregorio Allegri Biography - A Very Quick Guide

Italian composer and priest Gregorio Allegri was born in 1582 in Rome, where he spent most of his life. He sang as a boy at San Luigi dei Francesi and later served in several Roman churches before joining the Sistine Chapel Choir in 1629, one of the most prestigious musical posts in the Catholic world. Allegri composed motets, masses and instrumental works, reflecting the late Renaissance polyphonic tradition that still prevailed in Roman sacred music during his lifetime.

Allegri is best known for his Miserere, a setting of Psalm 51 written for exclusive use during Holy Week in the Sistine Chapel. For many years it was forbidden to copy or perform the work elsewhere, contributing to its mystique. According to tradition, the young Mozart wrote down the piece from memory after hearing it once, aiding its wider circulation. Allegri died in 1652, but the Miserere remains one of the most frequently performed works of early Baroque sacred music, admired for its austere beauty and soaring ornamented lines.