Costanzo Antegnati

Costanzo Antegnati was an organist, organ builder and composer.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article on Costanzo Antegnati.

From the period sources

Costanzo Antegnati, born in Brescia around the mid-16th century, was a prominent figure in Italian music, known as an organ-builder, organist, and composer (Dictionary of Music, 1896). He was the son of Gratiadio Antegnati, himself a “famous organ-builder,” and Costanzo continued this family craft (Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, 1888). Costanzo served as organist at the cathedral of his native city until 1619, when he suffered a stroke of paralysis (Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, 1888). His compositions included masses, motets, psalms, and canzoni, alongside several works in organ tablature (Dictionary of Music, 1896). Notably, he authored L’Arte Organica in 1608, a book on organ-playing and organ-building, in which he listed 135 organs constructed by members of his family (The Story of the Organ, 1903, 1916). His family was among the earliest famous organ-builders in Italy, having built over 400 instruments by the 16th century (Grove’s Dictionary, 1904). Costanzo’s own organ ricercari are preserved in L’Arte Musicale in Italia, volume three (Grove’s Dictionary, 1904).