Sacred Handel - Music for the Carmelite Vespers

Handel travelled to Italy while still a young man, honing his craft in the glorious city of Rome. He wrote his exciting Dixit Dominus and various other works for the Carmelite Feast of 1707, celebrated in the church of Santa Maria di Monte Santo – where this recording was made. Also including works by Handel's elder contemporaries, the album by Musica Antiqua Latina and Coro da Camera Italiano recreates the music that might have been played at this historic service.

Featuring

Giordano Antonelli
Musica Antiqua Latina
Coro da Camera Italiano
Johann Caspar von Kerll
Anonymous (Gregorian Chant)
Giovanni Paolo Colonna

Bernardo Pasquini
Anonymous
George Frideric Handel
Antonio Maria Bononcini
Alessandro Scarlatti
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Johannes Ockeghem
Arcangelo Corelli

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Instruments

Antonio Maria Bononcini's psalm Laudate pueri features numerous cello solo passages, reflecting the composer's virtuosity on the instrument.

Composition History

This recording reconstructs the music for the 'Grand' Vesper for the feast of the Madonna del Carmelo on July 16th, 1700, using the Carmelite liturgical book.

Historical Context

The feast of the Madonna del Carmelo in Rome had a significant musical tradition for decades before George Frideric Handel's involvement.

Recording & Production

Many works on this album are being performed again for the first time since the 17th century in their original birthplace.

Historical Context

The Carmelite order, originating in the Holy Land in the late 12th or early 13th century, followed the liturgical tradition of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Composer Biography

Giovanni Paolo Colonna, a composer from a family of musicians and organ builders, was educated in Bologna and Rome by famous teachers like Giacomo Carissimi.

Notable Performances

The Church of Santa Maria in Montesanto in Rome hosted renowned musicians like Arcangelo Corelli and Giovanni Paolo Colonna for the Carmelite festival in the late 17th century.