Donati Ignazio, *ca. 1570 in Casalmaggiore (near Cremona), †21 January 1638 in Milan, Italian composer. Initially he was the organist of the cathedral in Pesaro. He then served as maestro di cappella: in the years 1596–98 in Urbino, in 1600 in Pesaro, in the years 1601–05 in Fano, in the years 1612–15 again in Urbino, in the years 1616–19 in Ferrara, in the years 1620–23 in Casalmaggiore, and in cathedral churches: in the years 1623–29 in Novara, in the years 1629–30 in Lodi, in the years 1631–38 in Milan. As a member of the Accademia dei Filomeli he bore the name Auriga.
In the preface to some of his compositions, Donati pointed to the necessity of performing them in a polychoral manner. Donati’s solo motets were intended as exercises in ornamented singing (gorgia) and were preceded by the composer’s remarks concerning problems in teaching this art. Donati remained under the influence of C. Monteverdi and composed in the concertato style of the early Baroque. Although he composed almost exclusively sacred works, he was not unfamiliar with the achievements of Florentine monody in the field of expression and chromaticism.
Donati’s works enjoyed considerable interest at the time, as evidenced by the numerous editions of his compositions, including in collected prints.
Sacri concentus… for 1–5 voices and basso continuo, 1612
Motetti (…) in concerto eon due sorti di letanie della Beata Virgine et nel fine alcuni canoni for 5 voices and basso continuo, 1616, 3rd ed. 1626
Concerti ecclesiastici for 2–5 voices and basso continuo, Op. 4, 1618, 5th ed. 1630
Concerti ecclesiastici… for 1–4 voices and basso continuo, Op. 5, 1618, 4th ed. 1630
Motetti concertati eon dialoghi, salmi e letanie della Beata Virgine for 5–6 voices and basso continuo, Op. 6, 1618, 2nd ed. 1627
Messe (…) parte da cappella, e da concerto… for 4–6 voices and basso continuo, 1622, 3rd ed. 1645
Il primo libro de motetti a voce sola… Op. 7, 1623, 2nd ed. 1634
Salmi boscarecci concertati for 6 voices and basso continuo, Op. 9, 1623, 2nd ed. 1639
Madre de quatordeci figli, nihil difficile oolenti. Il secondo libro de motetti (…) in concerto for 5 voices and basso continuo, 1629
Le Fanfalughe for 2–5 voices and basso continuo, 1630
Il secondo libro delle messe da cappella for 4–5 voices, Op. 12, 1633
Li oecchiarelli, et perregrini concerti (…) eon una messa (…) concertata for 2–4 voices and basso continuo, Op. 13, 1636
Il secondo libro de motetti a voce sola Op. 14, 1636
