FERRABOSCO, ALFONSO, I

(baptized Jan. 18, 1543, Bologna, Papal States d. Aug. 12, 1588, Bologna), Italian composer known for his madrigals, motets, and lute music. The son of a singer and composer, Domenico Maria Ferrabosco, he settled in England in 1562. He traveled abroad on several occasions, using his entre to foreign courts to act as a spy for the English government, and he was granted a life pension by Elizabeth I. In 1578 he returned to Italy and entered the service of the Duke of Savoy. Ferrabosco was influential in bringing Italian musical style to England. His motets are particularly expressive.