Release Date: 01 June 2000
Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 730099487320
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: GABRIELI
Description
Giovanni Gabrieli(c.1553-1612)Works for Brass,Volume 2 Any real understanding ofGiovanni Gabrieli's music is impossible without some appreciation of itscontext within the Venice of the sixteenth century, As the main trading postbetween East and West, Venice was a rich and prosperous city; guarded by apowerful naval fleet it contained some of the finest art and architecture andsuccessfully exported items of the most superb quality, including books, clothand glass, Venetians enjoyed political stability and felt genuinely privileged,with a deep sense of pride in the quality of their own standard of living andtheir ability to impress foreign dignitaries. This was reflected in theceremonial aspects of public life in which all strata of society were involved,and where the religious was healthily mixed with the temporal - Venice wasnever a close friend of the Church of Rome. Processions were regularly held onimportant civil and religious occasions; they would often be led by therepublic's ruler, the Doge, whose role was as much caretaker and guardian ashead of state; they usually began around the magnificent Byzantine Basilica ofSt Mark itself. They were of the utmost importance to the community, beinggoverned by a careful protocol dating back to the fifteenth century whichensured the greatest degree of solemnity and pomp. One of the most importantcustoms was that at least six silver trumpets should play at such events,ensuring the necessity of instrumental music to accompany all great celebrationsin and of the Most Serene Republic. Into this splendour cameGiovanni Gabrieli; his exact date of birth is unclear, but it was some timebetween 1553 and 1556: the unclear handwriting in his obituary indicates thathe was either 56 or 58 at the time of his death in 1612. He was born into amusical family - his uncle Andrea (c.1510-1586) had worked and studied inMunich and was appointed to St Mark's in 1566 as organist, quickly becoming acelebrated composer, especially of ceremonial music, thus continuing atradition of formal music going back to the thirteenth century and one whichbecame particularly important following the appointment of the Flemish musicianAdrian Willaert (c.1490-1562) as Director of Music in 1528. We know that, apart fromalmost certainly having lessons with Andrea, Giovanni also worked in Munich atthe court of Duke Albrecht V and, like his uncle before him, studied there withthe great Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594), probably returning to Venice afterAlbrecht's death in 1579. He deputised as organist at St Mark's in 1584 andthen again in 1585, and was made second organist and composer following theresignation of the previous incumbent, Claudio Merulo (1833-1604), who waslured to the Steccata Chapel in Parma for a higher salary .In the same year hebecame organist of the Schola Grande di San Rocco, a part-time post. He was tohold down both positions until his death in 1612 from a kidney stone complaintwhich had troubled him for over si
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Various
Various
Lully
