Alessandro Stradella
(1639 - 1682)Italian composer, violinist, and singer, who influenced the format of the aria and who was among the earliest to employ the crescendo (gradual increase in loudness) in instrumental music. He was born in Montefestino and reportedly worked in Venice and Turin. Many details of his life remain unknown. He was apparently murdered by a jealous lover and thus became the hero of three 19th-century operas. His cantatas and oratorios are particularly significant. Stradella also wrote operas, motets, madrigals, and string concertos. Read more on Wikipedia.