he was deliberately composing in the Franco-Flemish style. Probably his greatest significance to music history is in the development of a light secular form known as the villanella, a lighter form of madrigal, of Neapolitan origin. Some of these pieces may have been intended for dancing, and they were evidently popular. They are similar to the French chanson, often have a memorable melody in the topmost part, contain vigorous cross-rhythms, and avoid the polyphonic and chromatic complexity of the mid-century madrigal. Donato also wrote madrigals in a more serious style, as well as psalm settings, motets, and ceremonial music. References and further reading Article "Baldassare Donato", in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Venetian Instrumental Music, from Gabrieli to Vivaldi. New York, Dover Publications, 1994. (Note: while this book contains nothing on Donato, it has detailed and readable background on the Venetian school and associated activity at St. Mark's.) External links Account of early history of St. Mark's 16th-century births 1603 deaths 16th-century classical composers 16th-century Venetian people 16th-century Italian composers Renaissance composers Italian classical composers Italian male classical composers Venetian School (music) composers