What is knwon of Fontana's life and schooling is found in a posthumous publication in his honor. It was reported that he had worked in Rome, Venice and Padua. His primary typical contribution can be found in the form of solo sonatas for violin and bass and a concertante for bassoon. Habitually, Fontana repeated phrases in his score but each time the phrase appears he would ornament it in a different manner. Heterorhythms dominate the metrical landscape, from unexpected triplets to diminutions. Key relations were absent in his music. Giovanni Fontana is important in the history of music for being at the forefront of sonata development. ~ Keith Johnson