The adopted surname of this family was "del Cornetto" because of their ability to play wind instruments. Ascanio played the cornet serving on occasion in the musical choir of S. Petronio in Bologna. He received a regular appointment in the service of the chapel in 1573. The madrigals which he set were arranged for three to five voices and the motets were arranged for five to twelve voices. The former compositions were characterized by elegant and sonorous lines and the latter were characterized by counterpoint. A number of reprints of these compositions occurred during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries illustrating their popularity. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi