Handel reworked the opening theme of Giovanni Legrenzi's motet Intret in conspectu tuo, which features a striking diminished third interval, into his oratorio Samson.
Recording & Production
This recording was made possible by funding from the John Fell Oxford University Press (OUP) Research Fund.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Claudio Monteverdi, a renowned 17th-century maestro di cappella at St Mark's, Venice, coined the term seconda pratica to describe his compositional approach, which firmly placed music in service of the text.
Historical Context
The Academy of Ancient Music, founded in 1726, was dedicated to collecting and studying older works and contemporary music in learned contrapuntal styles, which they considered 'true and solid Musick'.
Composition History
Giovanni Legrenzi's motet Intret in conspectu tuo, an extraordinary work by the 17th-century Venetian composer, was preserved thanks to a copy made by Handel around 1750.
Critical Reception
Agostino Steffani's motet Qui diligit Mariam was greatly admired by the Academy of Ancient Music in 1727, but later offended the religious sensibilities of collector Thomas Bever, who altered its text.
Historical Context
This recording explores Italian Baroque motets, which were highly valued north of the Alps in the 18th century, particularly in England.
