At the age of 18 Benevoli acceded to the position of the maestro of singing in one of the Vatican churches. Although he did obtain the position of Kappellmeister in Vienna for a short time, Orazio was a citizen of Rome. His music was rarely published during his life time which may have remanded him into his impoverished situation. Many of his works have been lost but those which survive were sacred pieces including masses, motets and magnificats. Though much of his work is written in the required forms [and shadow] of Palestrina, Benevoli's movement out of modal harmonies was forward looking. Advances in his works are demonstrated by the passage from early homophonies to multi-voiced masses. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi