Gabrieli, G: The 16 Canzonas and Sonatas from Sacrae Symphoniae, 1597

Giovanni Gabrieli is arguably the earliest composer to write a significant body of instrumental music to a formula which can be said to be truly idiomatic and timelessly palatable. The Sacraesymphoniae... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Catalogue No: CDA66908
Label: Hyperion
Length: 74 minutes

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Gabrieli, G: Canzon duodecimi toni a 10, C179

Work length2:58

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon primi toni a 8, C170

Work length4:07

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$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon primi toni a 10 C176

Work length3:21

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His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Toccata quinti toni, CS2

Work length2:25

$1.00

$1.25

Timothy Roberts (organ)

Gabrieli, G: Canzon duodecimi toni a 10, C178

Work length3:54

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon quarti toni a 15, C185

Work length4:42

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$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon duodecimi toni a 10, C177

Work length3:43

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Toccata, CD16

Work length3:57

$1.00

$1.25

Timothy Roberts (organ)

Gabrieli, G: Sonata pian' e forte a 8, alla quarta bassa, C175

Work length5:21

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon septimi toni a 8, C171

Work length4:09

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His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Toccata, CD15

Work length2:28

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$1.25

Timothy Roberts (organ)

Gabrieli, G: Canzon septimi toni a 8, C172

Work length3:29

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon in echo duodecimi toni a 10, C180

Work length3:57

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon duodecimi toni a 8, C174

Work length3:29

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Toccata, CD13

Work length1:55

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$1.25

Timothy Roberts (organ)

Gabrieli, G: Canzon septimi toni a 12, C182

Work length2:56

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$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Sonata octavi toni a 12, C184

Work length4:45

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His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon in echo duodecimi toni a 10, per concertar con l'organo, C181

Work length4:12

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His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Intonazione noni toni, C247b

Work length0:41

$1.00

$1.25

Timothy Roberts (organ)

Gabrieli, G: Canzon noni toni a 8, C173

Work length3:14

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Gabrieli, G: Canzon noni toni a 12, C 183

Work length4:59

$1.00

$1.25

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

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This recording features what we believe to be the largest group of cornett and sackbut players to have been assembled from one city since the seventeenth century, and represents the fruition of a long-held aspiration of the original members of His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts. It was one evening in 1981, over dinner and a bottle or two of wine, that we first got together and shared our ideas. The result of this meeting was the bringing together of a rather unlikely bunch of characters and the formation of HMSC. Some years later a rather zealous critic paid us this great compliment: While every member of the group is a virtuoso in his or her own right, the listener always has a clear sense that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In 1608 Thomas Coryat had described hearing the best musicke that ever I did in all my life that I would willingly goe an hundred miles a foote at any time to hear the like after attending a rendition of Gabrieli in Venice. He goes on to record these Venetian musicians as having their master or moderator to keepe them in order. We accordingly invited our keyboard player Timothy Roberts to be our moderator, a position in keeping with the ethos of HMSC, and thankfully he agreed both to prepare the performances and to keep the sessions in order. Over the years the pool of suitably talented London-based players has become ever larger, gradually making the recording of Gabrielis polychoral masterpieces feasible. The first rehearsal for this recording was a joy that we have seldom encountered, and the project as a whole saw our chamber group transformed into a willing and sensitive extended family. We are truly indebted to all who took part. Sacrae Symphoniae is a monumental collection comprising forty-five vocal works in addition to the sixteen instrumental pieces recorded here. The canzonas and sonatas are unsurpassedin scale, expressive range, and sheer idiomatic flairin the entire sixteenth-century instrumental repertoire. These glorious works range from eight parts to fifteen, with the instruments arrayed in up to three separate 'choirs'.

Reviews

2010

Giovanni Gabrieli is arguably the earliest composer to write a significant body of instrumental music to a formula which can be said to be truly idiomatic and timelessly palatable. The Sacraesymphoniae publication of 1597 is a mixed set of vocal and instrumental pieces and, in its grand design, preserves a glorious heyday of textural opulence, intimate and playful dialogue between galleries and unashamedly ostentatious virtuosity.
His Majesties Sagbutts and Cornetts have augmented their chamber consort to form, as cornettist David Staff proudly proclaims, 'the largest group of cornett and sagbutt players to have been assembled from one city since the 17th century'. These wonderful 16 canzonas and sonatas make up the complete instrumental music of the 1597 collection. In essence it's the extensive juxtaposition between sombre blocks and glittering small-scale exchanges which gives the music its seminal quality of moving both inevitably and eventfully towards a self-assured resolution, befitting its aristocratic gait. Having a 'moderator' (in this case the fine keyboardist, Timothy Roberts), as opposed to an artistic director, is pragmatic and democratic but there's the odd moment where a strong artistic presence at the helm would have, ironically perhaps, empowered the musicians towards a more flexible and varied approach to articulation and colour.
That said, there are some glorious and majestic sounds: you can fly to the buzzing Canzonduodecimi toni a 10, bathe in the fragrant harmonic mosaic of the three-choir Canzonquarti toni a 15 and relish elsewhere the peculiarly delicate and sweet sounds of this ensemble.
Overall, a notable and distinctive achievement.

Offer,Gabrieli, G: The 16 Canzonas and Sonatas from Sacrae Symphoniae, 1597

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