(Giovanni Battista), maestro di cappella of the cathedral church of Bologna about the middle of the last century, was a very voluminous composer of music, having given to the world no fewer than 31 different works. He is equally celebrated both as a composer for the church and for concerts; and was besides a celebrated performer on the violin, and, as it is said, taught Corelli on that instrument. His compositions consist of masses, psalms, motets with instrumental parts, and sonatas for violins; his fifth opera in particular, containing 12 sonatas for two violins and a bass, is much esteemed; it is written in a style wonderfully grave and pathetic, and abounds with evidences of great learning and fine invention. The first and third operas of Corelli are apparently formed after the model of this work. Baffani was one of the first who composed motets for a single voice, with accompaniments of violins; a practice which is liable to objection, as it assimilates church-music too nearly to that of the chamber; and of his solo-motets it must be confessed that they differ in style but little from opera airs and cantatas: two operas of them, viz. the eighth and thirteenth, were printed in London by Pearson about 50 years ago, with the title of Harmonia Festiva.