AICHINGER, GREGOR

born 1564, Regensburg, Bishopric of Ratisbon [now in Germany] died Jan. 21, 1628, Augsburg German composer of religious music during the stylistic transition from the late Renaissance to early Baroque. Aichinger took holy orders and became organist to the family of Jakob Fugger at Augsburg from 1584. He visited Italy in 158487 and again in 15981600. His music is chiefly choral and ecclesiastical, set to Latin texts. It shows a conservative taste influenced by the Venetian school of composers, especially Giovanni Gabrieli, with whom he studied. His motets were well known and frequently appeared in contemporary collections. His Cantiones Ecclesiasticae (1607) was one of the earliest German examples of the use of basso continuo.