Rasi, Francesco (1574–1620)

Italian singer, poet, and composer. He came of a noble family and was a pupil of Caccini at Florence. A musician at the court of Mantua 1598–1620, he sang in the first performances of Peri's Euridice and Caccini's Il rapimento di Cefalo and is believed to have created Monteverdi's Orfeo.

Works madrigals (Dialoghi, 1620); opera Ati e Cefale (Mantua, 1617); chamber music; church music.