PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS: 
The late Patric Standford may have written these short pieces deliberately to provoke our feedback. If so, his success is reflected in the rich range of readers' comments appearing at the foot of most of the pages.
Jacopo Peri
Italian composer Jacopo Peri was born on 20 August 1561 in Rome and died on 12 August 1633 in Florence. Involved in the beginnings of opera, he collaborated with other composers to produce the six act comedy Pellegrina, performed in 1589 at festivities connected with the marriage of Ferdinand I. The first public performance of true recitative was probably that of Peri's music to Rinuccini's opera Dafne.
A selection of articles about Jacopo Peri
Ensemble. Very Welcome - Robert Hugill experiences Stephen Oliver's 'Euridice'
Ensemble. A Very Unusual Evening - Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea', reviewed by Maria Nockin