Tarquinio Merula, the composer, began his professional career at a very young age as an organist in Cremona and later at the prestigious chapel of S. Maria dell'Incoronata in Lodi.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Tarquinio Merula's music, with an obvious point of reference in the great Monteverdi, covered all musical genres of his time and contributed significantly to the evolution of 17th-century musical idioms.
Compositional Technique
Tarquinio Merula fully adhered to the 'seconda pratica' in the wake of Monteverdi, meaning the text itself was the starting point for every composition, with every expressive element investigated and emphasized.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Merula's sacred works for voice and instruments were designed to provide high-quality repertoire for small vocal and instrumental ensembles in provincial churches, often requiring no more than three vocal soloists and limited instruments.
Recording & Production
All recorded pieces on this album have been transcribed and edited by Maurizio Schiavo, the artistic director of Il Demetrio ensemble, with one piece, Favus distillans, edited by M. Lubenow.
Compositional Technique
Tarquinio Merula's motets for voice and strings are among the earliest examples of this type of composition.
Composer Biography
Tarquinio Merula spent a significant period (1621-1626) at the court of Sigismund III of Poland, where he published six works.
You might also enjoy...
A Summer Place
Byron Richard O'Keefe: Orchestral Works
Malèna
Emma Chacon Songs for voice and piano
Sacred Night - The Christmas Album
In Vino - Il Vino in musica tra XV e XVI secolo
Breakthrough
All American
Blancafort: Complete Songs, Vol. 2
Bartok, Bach & Others: Works for Violin
De Rore: Le Vergine
Anthoine de Bertrand: Amours de Ronsard, Livre I: Amours de Cassandre (exc.)
