Bartolomeo Tromboncino

Bartolomeo Tromboncino was an Italian composer active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was a significant figure in the development of the frottola, a popular Italian secular song form. Frottole were typically compositions for four voices with the melody in the top line, and could be performed a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment. They featured a simple musical style with clear rhythms and narrow vocal ranges, contrasting with more complex music of the era. Tromboncino, along with Marchetto Cara, was among the most important composers of this genre, which served as a direct precursor to the 16th-century madrigal.1