Frescobaldi, Girolamo Italian composer and organist. In 1608 he became organist at St. Peter's, where, except for a six-year sojourn at the Florentine court, he would remain the rest of his life. He was highly celebrated for both his playing and his diverse and ingenious compositions. He wrote numerous toccatas, ricercars, and canzones for organ and harpsichord, along with many sacred vocal works and secular songs. His most famous work is Fiori musicali (1635), a large collection of organ music for the mass.

In 1615 Frescobaldi secured a position with Duke Ferdinando Gonzaga at Mantua, but after three months he returned to Rome, remaining there until 1628 when he became organist at the Medici court in Florence. By the time he returned once more to Rome, in 1634, his fame was international and he was moving in the highest circles of patronage. In 1637 Froberger came from Vienna to study with him. Little is known of his other pupils, but his influence on keyboard playing and composition remained important for a century or more.

Frescobaldi is remembered chiefly for his keyboard music, much of which was published in 12 volumes (1608-14) with toccatas, canzonas, ricercares, dances and variations. The most famous is Fiori musicali (1635), with pieces for use in the Mass: the Kyrie-Christe unit from the Ordinary, toccatas to be played during the Elevation and other pieces corresponding to items of the Proper (introit, gradual, offertory, communion). Bach owned a copy and learnt from it.

Frescobaldi's vocal music is of relatively small importance. His sacred works, including c 40 motets, mostly for one to three voices and continuo, show none of the complexity and expressive intensity of the keyboard works. Perhaps his most characteristic vocal music is in an early volume of madrigals (1608), but two volumes of Arie musicali published during Frescobaldi's years in Florence (1630) are also of interest.