Venetian Vespers (5CD)
Gabrieli Consort and Players
Paul McCreesh, direction
Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort and Players have become famous for their recreations of the great liturgical set pieces of the Venetian 16th and early 17th centuries. These recordings made by Deutsche Grammophon in the 1990s are state of the art and were critically acclaimed. In this 5Cd set we are taken back to St Mark’s Basilica, the most important church in the city-state, and the Confraternity of San Rocco, for which Giovanni Gabrieli and his colleague the falsetto Bartolemeo Barbarino composed remarkable collection of instrumental and vocal music. This recording includes wide range of Gabrieli’s work, from intimate motets, to the reconstructed glory of the 33 part Magnificat On CDs 1 and 2 we are in St Mark’s at Easter time in 1600. The smell of incense hangs in the chill air of the basilica and the huge building resonates with sound of voices - the service has begun. The central work is the Missa Congratulamini mihi by Lassus. As was customary, the Credo has been omitted, and substituted with non-liturgical vocal works by composers such as Giovanni and Alessandro Gabrieli, Bendinelli, and Merulo. Organ toccatas, Sacrae symphonea and other vocal works are placed between the movements of the Mass. The Venetian Vespers on CDs 3 and 4 again draws on music from a variety of composers as services such as the vespers at this time were often made up of movements of Mass and Vespers settings by different composers. The composer of the most famous setting of the Vespers, Claudio Monteverdi features here with his Messa et salmi, alongside Banchieri, Cavalli, and Giovanni Gabrieli.
Gramophone reviewing Music for San Rocco said ‘ It is hard to imagine this fine recording of Gabrieli’s music being superseded for some time to come. For the sheer splendour of the music, and the excellence of the performances, this recording is a must, a real five-star achievement’. January 1997
Venetian Vespers Gramophone review ‘Among the performers there is a feeling of common enterprise that is hard to describe, but which sets this record apart from so many others where the overall impression is of a sequence of unrelated pieces given a disjointed series of separate performances…. There is some carefully thought out and gracefully shaped instrumental playing…. In short this is an heroic achievement of the highest possible order’. June 1993
Venetian Easter Mass, Gramophone review.’ The impact is tremendous in some items…as usual, the singing and playing are of a high order..’ July 1997
Some of Deutsche Grammophon’s most highly praised recordings available at budget price with full booklet notes and texts. ( Brilliant Classics )
CD1: Venetian Vespers (Beginning)
1. Sacristy bell 0:11
After GIOVANNI GABRIELI (c 1553-1612)
2. Organ: Intonazione
3. Versicle & Response: Deus in adiutorium/Domine ad adiuvandum 1:00
4. Antiphon: Angelus 0:35
GIOVANNI ANTONIO RIGATTI (1615-1649)
5. Psalm: Dixit Dominus (2 choirs) 13:16
ALESSANDRO GRANDI (?1586-1630)
6. Motet: O intemerata 4:22
7. Antiphon: Beata es Maria 0:40
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
8. Psalm: Laudate pueri 7:09
ADRIANO BANCHIERI (1568-1643)
9. Organ: Suonata prima 0:53
10. Antiphon: Beatam me dicent 0:36
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
11. Psalm: Laetatus sum 6:10
GIACOMO FINETTI (fl 1605-1631)
12. Motet: O Maria, quae rapis corda hominum 3:03
13. Antiphon: Haec est quae nescavit 0:39
GIOVANNI ANTONIO RIGATTI (1615-1649)
14. Psalm: Nisi Dominus 8:25
ADRIANO BANCHIERI (1568-1643)
15. Organ: Dialogo secondo 1:16
16. Antiphon: Ante thronum 0:31
FRANCESCO CAVALLI (1602-1676)
17. Psalm: Lauda Jerusalem 9:09
ALESSANDRO GRANDI (-1586-1630)
18. Motet: O quam tu pulchra es 3:46
CD2: Venetian Vespers (Conclusion)
1. Organ: Praeambulum (Anon.) 1:25
2. Chapter: Ecce virgo 0:37
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
3. Hymn: Deus qui mundum crimine iacentem 4:24
4. Versicle & Response: Ave Maria/ Dominus tecum 0:24
5. Antiphon: Spiritus Sanctus 0:41
GIOVANNI ANTONIO RIGATTI (1615-1649)
6. Magnificat 7:47
BIAGIO MARINI (c.1587-1663)
7. Sonata con tre violini in eco 5:42
8. Collect: Dominus vobiscum… Deus, qui de beatae Mariae 1:30
9. Dismissal: Dominus vobiscum…Benedicamus Domino 0:19
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
10. Motet: Laudate Dominum 3:35
After GIOVANNI BATTISTA FASOLO (c. 1600-after 1659)
11. Organ: Intonazione (excerpt) 0:48
GIOVANNI ANTONIO RIGATTI (1615-1649)
12. Motet: Salve Regina 5:30
CD3: Venetian Easter Mass (Beginning)
CLAUDIO MERULO (1533-1604)
1. Tocca prima del quinto tono (excerpt) 1:16
ANDREA GABRIELI (1533-1585)
2. Maria stabat ad monumentum, a 6 4:45
3. The knocking on the door:Quem quaeritis (chant) 1:58
4. Tocada…con Vitoria (6 trumpets) 1:05
5. Surrexit Christus (chant) 0:57
GIOVANNI GABRIELI (c.1553/56-1612)
6. Surrexit Christus, a 11 3:26
7. INTROITUS (chant): Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum, alleluia 3:46
ANDREA GABRIELI (1533-1585)
8. Intonazione del quinto tono 1:02
KYRIE: ORLANDE DE LASSUS (1532-1594)
9. Missa ‘Congratulamini mihi’: Kyrie, a 6 3:37
GLORIA: ORLANDE DE LASSUS
10. Missa ‘Congratulamini mihi’: Gloria, a 6 5:15
11. ORATIO: Dominus vobiscum (Chant) 1:02
EPISTOLA (Chant)
12. Lectio Epistolae beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthos Fratres: Expurgate vetus fermentum 0:59
GRADUALE: GIOVANNI GABRIELI
13. Canzon VIII, a 8 4:25
14. SEQUENTIA:Victimae paschali laudes (Chant) 1:49
15. EVANGELIUM:Sancti Evangelisti secundum Marcum (Chant) 2:30
OFFERTORIUM: GIOVANNI GABRIELI
16. Hic est filius Dei, a 18 4:22
17. PREFATIO: Per omnia saecula saeculorum… Dignum est justum est (Chant) 2:10
SANCTUS: ORLANDE DE LASSUS
18. Missa ‘Congratulamini mihi’: Sanctus, a 6 4:22
ELEVATIO: GIOVANNI GABRIELI
19. Sonata octavi toni, a 12
20. PATER NOSTER (Chant) 1:54
CD4: Venetian Easter Mass (Conclusion)
AGNUS DEI ORLANDE DE LASSUS
1. Missa ‘Congratulamini mihi’: Agnus Dei, a 6 4:24
COMMUNIO
GIOVANNI GABRIELI (c. 1553/56-1612)
2. Canzon XVII, a 12 3:03
3. POSTCOMMUNIO: Dominus vobiscum…(Chant) 1:01
4. ITE, MISSA EST (Chant) 0:34
5. BENEDICTIO: Humilitate vos ad benedictionem (Chant) 0:57
6. INDULGENTIA: Illustrissimus et Reverendissimus in Christo pater (Chant) 1:28
ANTIPHONA MARIAE
GIOVANNI GABRIELI
7. Regina coeli, a 12 2:08
8. ORATIO: Gaude et laetare Virgo Maria, alleluia (Chant) 1:24
CONGEDO
CLAUDIO MERULO
9. Toccata settima del ottavo tono (excerpt) 1:12
GIOVANNI GABRIELI
10. Sonata con voce: Dulcis Jesu, a 20 6:23
CD5: Music for San Rocco (1608)
GIOVANNI GABRIELI (c.1553/56-1612)
1. Toccata, a 4 1:11
2. In ecclesiis, a 14 6:59
3. Sonata No.19, a 15 5:10
4. Suscipe, clementissime Deus, a 12 4:55
5. Canzona No.14, a 10 2:52
6. Buccinate in neomenia tuba, a 19 3:38
7. Intonazione del nono tono 0:40
8. Domine Deus meus, a 6 7:19
9. Audi, dulcis amica mea (Bartolomeo Barbarino) 3:40
10. Sonata No.21 con tre violini 3:52
11. Ardens est cor meum (Bartolomeo Barbarino) 2:44
12. Timor et tremor, a 6 6:45
13. Intonazione duodecimo tono 0:33
14. Jubilate Deo, a 10 4:40
15. Sonata No.18, a 14 6:14
16. Misericordia tuo, Domine, a 12 4:15
17. Sonata No.20, a 22 6:52
18. Magnificat, a 33 5:56
Gabrieli Consort, Choir & Players
PAUL McCREESH, direction
Digital Recording: 1990-96
