Legrenzi held a leading position in Italian music in the later 17th century, serving as an organist and director of music in Bergamo and Ferrara before settling finally in Venice, where he was employed at the Ospedale dei Mendicanti.
Operas
Fewer than a dozen of Legrenzi’s operas survive, out of some 19. These mark a stage in the development of the form in Venice, with its heroic stories mingled with elements of comedy.
Sacred Music
Legrenzi’s sacred music includes oratorios, some using allegorical texts.
Chamber Music
Legrenzi’s trio sonatas and compositions for larger groups of instruments proved influential on the following generation – on Vivaldi, Bach and others.