Englishman; in addition he began to arrange his dances into suites, a practice which would become common during the Baroque era. Some of the dances he wrote were in forms previously unknown in Germany such as the branle, maschera, and volta. His coral, a set of variations on a ground bass, is considered to be the earliest music written for the solo violin by an English composer; however, its attribution is not completely certain, for another source dated 1684 gives the name of another composer. Stylistically, his music is more homophonic than much of the music by his English contemporaries, who still preferred a polyphonic idiom. As a performer, he was famous for his fine technique; he was one of the most famous early violinists, and highly regarded in Germany. Several pieces by other composers were published in Hamburg as tributes to him after his death. References External links 1560 births 1630 deaths 16th-century English composers 17th-century English composers English classical composers English Baroque composers English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) English violinists British male violinists Renaissance composers Music directors of the Berlin State Opera 17th-century classical composers English male classical composers 17th-century male musicians