Composer · b Rome, 2nd half of the 17th century; d Pisa, early 18th century
Giovanni Zamboni
Biography
(b Rome, 2nd half of the 17th century; d Pisa, early 18th century). Italian composer. He was noted as a virtuoso on the theorbo, lute, harpsichord, guitar, mandore and mandolin.
As such Zamboni, who also seems to have been a jeweller, found employment at Pisa Cathedral. His collection of Sonate d’intavolatura di leuto op.1 was published at Lucca in 1718. A contemporary account praises him as a ‘very excellent contrapuntist’, an ability which may be seen in his two books of four-part madrigals with continuo (I-Bc); they are, however, in a conservative style, and not dramatic. Lost works include two cantatas, a sonata for two lutes, two violins and basso continuo, and a sinfonia. He may have been related to V. Zambone, a Sistine Chapel singer in 1582.