In 1608, the English traveler Thomas Coryat witnessed an extraordinary musical performance in Venice, featuring sixteen to twenty voices, sixteen instruments, and seven organs.
Historical Context
The introduction of basso continuo revolutionized music, affecting not only vocal compositions but also leading to the emergence of instruments like the violin, which would dominate the musical scene for centuries.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in the Santa Maria Incoronata Church in Martinengo, Italy, from February 25 to March 1, 2013.
Composition History
The solo and two-voice motet genre emerged due to practical reasons, as smaller Italian churches lacked the resources for large polyphonic ensembles, and a musical revolution led to accompanied monody.
Compositional Technique
Biagio Marini's "Sonata sopra Fuggi dolente" is a series of variations on "Il Ballo di Mantova," a melody that has influenced many famous compositions, including the national anthem of Israel.
Composer Biography
Alessandro Grandi, an outstanding composer featured on this album, was educated in Ferrara and served in various ecclesiastical institutions before dying tragically in the great plague epidemic of 1630.
Compositional Technique
Claudio Monteverdi's motet "Jubilet tota civitas" uses contrasting animated sections in ternary time with recitative style, written for one voice and basso continuo to suggest echoes and responses.
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