Tarquinio Merula (1595–1665) is an important composer of small-scale concertato music, reflecting the influence of composers such as Claudio Monteverdi and Alessandro Grandi. Merula was also a prolific composer of instrumental music who was important in the transition of the canzona francese towards the Corellian sonata. The sole copy of Merula’s Il primo libro de motetti, e sonate concertati (Venice: Alessando Vincenti, 1624) survives in an incomplete state in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica, Bologna—the set of partbooks lacks the Basso book and therefore no complete edition of the collection has previously been thought possible. However, the identification of a number of pieces in English manuscripts from the court of Charles I and his Queen Henrietta Maria has enabled the completion of the vocal pieces in the collection; the instrumental pieces have here been editorially reconstructed.
