Stefano Landi composed in numerous vocal genres including madrigals, arias (several books), motets, and pieces in the conservative Roman style. Most noteworhty, however, were the operas that he composed which were instrumental in the development of the Roman style. Landi was a student at both the Collegio Germanico and the Seminario Romano. He was able to study with Gazzari. By 1618 Landi became the "master of the chapel" to the Bishop of Padua and at this time composed his first opera "La morte d'Orfeo" (The death of Orfeo). By 1620 he had returned to Rome where he spent the rest of his life. Landi served a number of churches as well as the Borghese family and the Barberini family. His sacred opera "Sant' Alessio" (which is an hallmark opera) was composed in 1631 or 32 for the Barberini family. Categorically it was a "first" in three different respects. "Sant' Alessio" was the first opera based on an historical topic, the first about a saint, and the first concerned with one's inner life. The body of the work illustrates Landi's musical import and diverse character. "Sant' Alessio" contained instrumental sinfonias, comic characters, choral writing, dances, and recitatives and ensemble work that were imbued with pathos. ~ Keith Johnson