Gabrieli: Canzoni et Sonate

Featuring

René Clemencic
Consort Fontegara
Giovanni Gabrieli

Did you know?

1/7

Composition History

The Canzoni et Sonate per sonar con ogni sorte de instrumenti, con il basso per l'organo were published in 1615, three years after Giovanni Gabrieli's death, as one of the rare collections entirely dedicated to him.

Historical Context

The period of Giovanni Gabrieli's life (1571-1669) saw Venice decline politically and economically, yet daily life continued with great pomp and display of wealth.

Composer Biography

Giovanni Gabrieli's studies and publishing activities were cosmopolitan, with significant time spent in Munich and many of his works published in German or Nordic anthologies.

Compositional Technique

Giovanni Gabrieli's music blends old and new techniques, such as dividing the orchestra into multiple choirs (a tradition) and experimenting with new instrumental compositions like the Sonatta a tre violini.

Composer Biography

Giovanni Gabrieli held prestigious but not top-tier positions in Venice, serving as first organist at St. Mark's Basilica and organist at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco until his death.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Giovanni Gabrieli's works, including these Canzoni et Sonate and his motets, were designed to celebrate the glory of the Venetian state through their magnificence.

Composer Biography

Despite his international recognition, Giovanni Gabrieli received little attention in his native Venice; only three of his Venetian publications contained exclusively his music, and two were posthumous.