Life
Since the date of his birth is not known, it is not possible to define his training period; however, his artistic maturity is situated fully within the first phase of the Baroque, of which he was a pioneer in the field of the instrumental sonata.
Dario Castello lived in Venice between the end of the 16th century and 1644. He was a chapel master at the Basilica of San Marco and collaborated with musicians from Claudio Monteverdi's circle. His name is linked above all to the experimentation with the instrumental sonata, a genre in full development in the first half of the seventeenth century.
He composed two books of Sonate concertate in stil moderno, published respectively in 1621 and 1629. His sonatas for multiple instruments, characterized by bold virtuoso passages and expressive contrasts, influenced the next generation of Venetian composers.
His music, which has come down to us in several reprints, testifies to the richness of the Venetian school and Castello's importance as an innovator. He died in Venice around 1644.
Aneddoto
A Musician “in stil moderno”
Castello defined his sonatas as being “in stil moderno” (in modern style), emphasizing the originality of the musical language compared to the polyphonic tradition.Works
Among his most famous works are the two books of Sonate concertate in stil moderno (1621, 1629), which include pieces for two, three, and four instruments with basso continuo. Castello's works rank among the first examples of the Venetian sonata and were reprinted several times during the seventeenth century.