giovanni gabrieli the musical times his

8/16/2019 Giovanni Gabrieli the Musical Times His

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Giovanni Gabrieli (ca. 1554-1612):The Musical Times,

His Life, Work,and His ‘In Ecclesiis’

By Kimberly Zoeller

Fall 2007, Music History, The Baroque Era, Independent Study Dr. Nico Schuler, Professor


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Giovanni Gabrieli (ca. 1554-1612): The Musical Times, His Life, Work, and

His ‘In Ecclesiis’By Kimberly Zoeller

Introduction

Giovanni Gabrieli, nephew of famed composer Andrea Gabrieli, is recognized as one of

the most important composers bridging the musical form and style from the Renaissance

and Baroque eras. Many of Giovanni’s musical developments were concepts that were

expanded on and developed to their full potential during the Baroque era. These same

concepts came to define Baroque music. For example, the use of movements in a single

work that together complete the musical thought and the elements of through-composed

composition in his later works. Giovanni’s musical voicing and ‘cori spezzati’ style of

composition led to the development of musical expression being notated in the music.

There have been many disagreements throughout the years as to which period Giovanni’s

music belonged and why. Some believe that his music belonged to the High Renaissance

because of his use of vocal forms throughout the various styles he composed. Others

believe his music belonged to the Early Baroque period for his ability to express emotion

within his compositions, especially in his instrumental pieces. During the Renaissance,

the various instrumentation would be considered color and decoration, but in the Baroque

period this became an issue of compositional technique. Instrument voicing and blend

helped develop the texture we find in Baroque music. Composers started to take care and

notate their intent for the performance of their work. Those who believe that Giovanni’s

work belong to the Renaissance probably base this solely on his early compositions

according to Larson. Arnold and Kenton, two of the most important authorities on

Giovanni Gabrieli believe he should be placed at the beginning of the Baroque era.


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We will look at the times in which this man lived and his life, the turns it took, and how

this effected the nature of his works. Finally, we will look at “In ecclesiis,” work found in

Book II of his Symphoniae Sacrae and discuss how it heralded the changes in musical

form.Venetian Life

It is not known with certainty the exact date of Giovanni Gabrieli’s birth, but it is

believed to be around 1550 in the city of Venice. The date of his death is documented as

August 1612, at around the age of 56. But what is certain is that Giovanni Gabrieli was

born in the most highly desirable time and place in which to be a musician. At the time of

his birth, Venice was undoubtedly one of the greatest centers of music making in the

world. The citizens of Venice enjoyed a freedom that people in many other countries did

not share. A church or Monarch did not rule the city, so the wealth of the city was created

through the economics of trade. The city enjoyed both good economic health and growth.

The citizens of Venice had money, time, and opportunity to enjoy the finer things in life.

There were many celebrations that Venetians enjoyed and music was apart of every

celebration. There was great civic pride throughout the city and they loved nothing more

than coming together to celebrate and enjoy everything Venetian. From the celebration of

the Days for the Venetian Saints to any historical event in grand Venetian history,

it was all cause for celebration. Patrons of the arts would invest in and attend a

variety of musical events. The general festivity of the music in the city was also reflected

in the music of the church. The Doge would fund festivals that would be held for both

religious and patriotic celebrations. In Giovanni’s time, the Doge were city officials who

were elected for a lifetime. They held no political power to create laws but were

wealthy, highly regarded men.


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The Doge in earlier times had run the city and the church, but in Giovanni’s time did not

wield this type of power. However, the Doge funded the celebrations in the city, even

creating their own coronation events. St. Mark’s was still considered the Doge’s church.

The musicians at St. Marks were called the Doge’s cappella and the positions were

considered to be civil service jobs. The Doge would entertain important officials from

other countries and they would hold celebrations for those officials. Musicians would

lead the procession of the Doge and his officials. The celebration procession would

proceed to St. Mark’s square and then into St. Mark’s Church. The composition of the

music for such events was the responsibility of the second organist at St. Mark’s, the

position held by Giovanni Gabrieli.

The Two Gabrieli’s, Orlando di Lasso, and Munich

Giovanni Gabrieli’s career is tied to that of his famous uncle, Andrea Gabrieli. At the

time of Giovanni’s birth Andrea was a man in his thirties and an organist in a small

church in South Geremia and quite unknown. Fifteen years later, Andrea is the church

organist at St. Mark’s, a grand leap indeed. This rise is accounted for by one event,

Andrea Gabrieli traveled to study in Munich Germany. This brought him in touch with

the most famous of all European composers of the time, Orlando di Lasso. Through his

association with Lasso, Andrea forged bonds with many important future patrons. It was

at this time that Andrea became fully familiar with every compositional style of the time.

After his time in Munich with Lasso, there wasn’t another Italian composer of his time

who was as prolific as Andrea. On Andrea’s return to Venice he secured the position of

organist at St. Mark’s. It is generally believed that it is Andrea’s influence that made

Giovanni later travel to Munich and also study with Lasso.


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Giovanni’s earliest music was printed in 1575 when he was in Munich, and two of his

madrigals show Lasso’s influence. Giovanni was in Munich for some years and in 1578

seemed to be a full member of the household of the Duke of Bavaria. The Duke had in

his household an international group of musicians, Italians, Netherlanders, and Germans

all contributing to the household’s variety. Giovanni’s admiring patrons sent him pupils

and awarded him the present of allowing Giovanni to dedicate music to them. He made

his reputation in Southern Germany and was more popular there than in any Italian state

even at the end of his life. After the Duke’s death in 1579, Giovanni along with several

other musicians left the household because of debt left by the Duke, the Duke’s son,

although a patron of the arts himself was forced to reduce the household. Little is known

as to what Giovanni did but he resurfaces on the books in 1584 as acting temporary

organist of St. Mark’s. A move clearly engineered by his uncle Andrea. Under the careful

tutorage of his uncle, Giovanni developed the delightful and rich compositional style that

we have come to know today.

St. Mark’s

St. Mark’s Church had long been famed for it’s oppositional organs. The architecture of

the church itself led to what became known as the ‘cori spezzati’ style of composition.

‘Cori Spezzati’ is Italian for ‘separated choir.’ This style developed by having two choirs

in opposite choir lofts echoing each other in canon and joining together for added effect

in key compositional moments. The style had been around long before either Giovanni or

Andrea Gabrieli were composing for St. Mark’s. The architectural design of the choir

lofts is that the two organs and choir lofts are on opposite sides of the church from each

other.


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The distance between the lofts is not great. One could conduct both choirs from

either loft. The singers and instrumentalists could see and hear each other clearly. The

high ceilings create an echo, but the choirs were close enough to each other so as to not

be confused by the echo. Thus keeping the integrity of performance tightly knit and

cohesive. St. Mark’s employed two organists; the ‘first organist,’ and the ‘second

organist.’ The position of organist at St. Mark’s was equivalent to a civil service position.

They were members of the Doge’s cappella. The Doge’s cappella were given renewable

contracts with a fair amount of security and a decent but not generous salary. Candidates

were auditioned and then tested, with musicianship rather that virtuosity given more

weight. A panel of Procurators made the appointments and they were concerned most

with two skills; score reading, and improvisation. The first was, score reading, the

organists were expected to be able to play from a four-part choir book to accompany the

choir. Second, they had to be able to take plainsong and make a real piece of music from

it using it as a cantus fermus. Plainsong being the liturgical chant used during a Catholic

service. The organist would be expected to develop the plainsong into a polyphonic

composition. Giovanni auditioned and won the seat as second organist at St. Mark’s

Church. Giovanni would serve at St. Mark’s until his death. The position seems to have

had the same obligations as any major church, with daily masses and vespers, but it is

unknown what the actual daily responsibilities of the musicians were. As to the position,

loyalty was highly regarded. If a musician left to play at another church for better pay,

they would not be welcomed back at St. Mark’s. Of all the music that Giovanni Gabrieli

wrote, his most highly regarded works were his compositions for the grand ceremonies at

St. Mark’s.


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The second organist’s at St. Mark’s were the principal composers for the

festivals. This tradition had started 20 years before Giovanni started at St. Mark’s. It is

believed though that he did not like writing for these events and when his colleague,

Giovanni Croce became first vice-maestro Gabrieli’s festival motet output rapidly

declined. Only three-dozen motets survive which would be dated during the 15 years it is

believed that Croce took over the responsibility of music for the Festivals. Festivals were

often no more than large patriotic events, and national pride over flowed from the 1570s

until 1605. The material used for the compositions for these events were of limited

emotional range. Festival themes were Vespers, Magnificat, and prayers for the days

appropriate to Venetian saints—St. Mark, St. John the Baptist and for Venetian

circumstances, either because of some relic preserved in St. Mark’s, such as the Holy

Blood and the Cross, or because of some historical accident, such as St. Marina’s Day.

Greater festivals of the Church year: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and the

various days devoted to the Blessed Virgin were also celebrated in grand Venetian style.

The Architectural Design of St. Mark’s Influenced Musical Composition

The architectural design of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice has long influenced the music

written and performed there. There is a direct relationship between the spatial

arrangement of the church and the polychoral style developed in the Venetian school of

composers. The highly resonant acoustics of St. Mark’s influenced Venetian composers

such as Giovanni Gabieli to incorporate echo effects into compositions which employed

contrasting textures and a breakup of phrases. St. Mark’s was constructed with the

Byzantine influence. This style of architecture lent itself to the polychoral style that was

developed to be performed there at St. Mark’s.


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An important feature in the polychoral style is that of creating a tonal contrast by placing

vocal or instrumental groups in oppositional positions. The groups would be comprised

of performers with either similar or different ranges and colors. The oppositional

placement of the groups is of primary importance in this style of polychoral music. The

lofty spaces in the cathedral at St. Mark’s creates a resonant intermingling of the opposed

sounds and this is what defines the special quality of this music. It is not unusual in

performance practice (especially modern day performance practice) to play these pieces

with two or more groups seated in the same area. This performance arrangement does not

however represent the essence of polychoral music as conceived by Baroque composers.

These are adaptations made because of the physical limitations of a given performance

area. The Byzantine design of the St. Mark’s presbytery permitted placement of its two

organs in opposing galleries, which, during Giovanni’s tenure, were sufficient in space to

hold divided the choirs that could contain both instrumentalist and vocalists. A smaller

gallery for instrumentalists was located at a level closer to the floor of the church.

Giovanni Gabrieli’s Compositions

In “A Dictionary of Early Music,” Roche describes Giovanni Gabrieli’s body of work

thus, “The distinctive part of his output consists of large-scale ceremonial music for St.

Mark’s whether motets for important church and state occasions or instrumental music

for the talented church orchestra which played a notable part in the basilica’s music.

These works were issued in three large collections; two volumes of Symphoniae Sacrae,

(1597 and 1615) and one of Canzoni e sonate (1615).


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In them he gradually transformed the Venetian polychoral style with its blocks of equally

balanced performers (as in his uncle’s music) into a more Baroque concept of solo

voices, instruments, full choir and continuo. This he did by specifying which instruments

were to be used and which passages were to be sung by soloists and by tutti, and further

by distinguishing the musical style of each. At the same time he devised coherent musical

structures, often involving refrains, to weld together these diverse sonorities. All this is

well illustrated in the motet ‘In ecclesiis’ (perhaps his masterpiece) for 4 soloists, 4-part

choir, 3 cornetts, viola, 2 trombones and organ. That Gabrieli was capable of a

madrigalian intensity of expression is evident from a smaller work like ‘Timor et tremor.’

There is emotional intensity rather than mere ceremonial pomp in some of the

instrumental canzonas, too, together with brilliant instrumental writing.”1 This

summation of Giovanni’s works over his lifetime is more than adequate.

The Instrumental Works

Giovanni returned to Venice from Munich in the 1580s and it is then that the grand

ensemble at St. Mark’s was built up. The instrumental ensemble at St. Mark’s was made

up of a few professional musicians in key sections, and the rest was filled out with

volunteers. When there were important festivals instrumentalist would be added often

bringing the total number in the orchestra to more than 20. Giovanni enjoyed the

privilege of composing for the talented instrumentalists at St. Mark’s. When he was

finished assembling his orchestra, listed on the roster were a brilliant young cornettist,

Giovanni Bassano and one or two of the virtuosi from the Duke’s retinue from Munich

and all told there were six salaried instrumentalist on the books.

1 Roche, “A Dictionary of Early Music,” pg. 79


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He used the sound to add to his vocal motets. Being too good an opportunity to waste,

Giovanni started writing pieces for the instrumentalists without voices. This was unique

to Giovanni, no other composer at St. Mark’s wrote purely instrumental works, not the

maestri di cappella or even Bassano, the director of instruments. Most of Giovanni’s

instrumental output were canzonas, and what great works these are! There was nothing of

their quality in the Italian ensemble music of the time. Giovanni took full advantage of

his unique situation. His instrumental works spanned the full range of expression. From

the bleak and strange ‘Canzon Noi Toni,’ to the festive ‘Canzon Septimi Toni.’ He

employs the same split choir technique he used with voices in his instrumental works. In

these instrumental works he expresses moods and attitudes that could not be expressed in

vocal terms. Grand dialogues of tone color and texture that he weaves at will into any

range of emotion he wants; pomp, sadness, or joy. We find the melodies to these works

very memorable, even hummable. Giovanni used ! meter within his instrumental works

frequently, although most of the works were in a duple meter. The instrumental music

contains interesting turns or ornaments in the music that catch the ear and choir like

harmonies, very much like Andrea’s own style, that bring the listener in. First, the

interesting turns in the melody, second the echoing parts, then at the end of phrases the

beautiful choir of chordal harmonies. Often there is the! meter to connect the sections

together, always climbing to a climax at the end with a Picardy third or a beautiful

flourish. There is no doubt that there is an enormous emotional variety and intellectual

quality in the instrumental music of Giovanni Gabrieli.


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A Performance Review

Thomas Coryate describes in detail the music of Giovanni he heard in 1608. A visiting

Englishman, he is described as a court jester to Prince Henry, the son of James I. He

writes, “At that time I heard much good musicke in Saint Markes Church, but especially

that of a treble violl which was so excellent, that I thinke no man could surpasse it. Also

there were sagbuts and cornets as at St. Laurence feast which yeelded passing good

musicke. The third feast was vpon Saint Roches day being Saturday and the sixth [16

th

]

day of August, where I heard the best musicke that euer I did in my life both in the

morning and the afternoone, so good that I would willingly goe an hundred miles a foote

at any time to heare the like...This feast consisted principally of Musicke, which was both

vocall and instrumentall, so good, so delectable, so rare, so admirable, so superexcellent,

that it did euen rauish and stupifie all those strangers that neuer heard the like. But how

others were effected with I know not; for mine owne part I can say this, that I was for the

time euen rpt up with Saint Paul into the third heauen. Sometimes ther sung sixteene or

twenty men together, hauing their master or moderator to keepe them in order; and when

they sung, the instrumentall musitians played also. Sometines sixteen played together

upon their instruments, ten Sagbuts, foure Cornets, and two Violdegmbaes of and

extraordinary greatnesse; sometimes tenne, six sagbuts and foure cornets; sometimes two,

a Cornet and treble violl. Of those treble viols I heard three seuerall there, whereof each

was so good, especially one that I obserued aboue the rest, that I neuer heard the like

before.


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Those that played upon the treble violl, together upon Theorboes, to which they

sung also, who yeelded admirable sweet musicke, but so still that they could sarce be

heard but by those that were very neare them. These two Theorbists concluded that

nightsmusicke, which continued three whole howers at the least. For they beganne about

fiue of the clocke, and ended not before eight. Also it continued as long in the morning;

at euery time that euery seuerall musicke played, the Organs, where of there are seuen

faire paire in that room, standing al in a rowe togither, plaied with them. Of the singer

there were three of roure so excellent that I thinke few or noe in Christendome do excell

them, especially one who had such a peerelesse and (as I may in menner say) such a

supernatural voice for seetness that I thinke there was never a better singer in all the

world, inso much that he did not only give the most pleasant contentment that could be

imagined to all the hearers, but also did as it were astonish and amaze them.”2 This

famous account by Coryate was believed to be about Giovanni Gabrieli’s Book II of the

Symphoniae Sacrae. The instrumentation described makes one consider ‘In ecclesiis’ as

maybe one of the pieces in particular described by Coryate.

Giovanni’s Different Bodies of Work

When we look at the body of Giovanni Gabrieli’s work we see quite a progression. His

earliest madrigals and motets written very much in the vocal style of the time using rondo

form seem to be very much apart of the Renaissance. Later at St. Mark’s with the

evolution of the small orchestra, his progression to instrumental works, a few for organ

but mostly for the ensemble at St. Mark’s. He develops his instrumental style and takes it

to new heights when composing his grand ceremonial music.

2 Carter, “Music in Late Renaissance & Early Baroque Italy,” pgs. 222-223, The Paymasters record shows

that the music was that of Giovanni Gabrieli.


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After Giovanni’s death two books are published, Books I and II of the Symphoniae

Sacrae. These volumes contain some of the ceremonial music he wrote for St. Mark’s.

Book I contains 45 motets, 61 in all counting the instrumental canzonas Kenton lists

belonging with this book. Book II contains 32 motets. These motets were written for

various number of choirs for both the voice and instrument.

The Symphoniae Sacrae, Books I and II

In Books I and II of Giovanni’s Symphoniae Sacrae, forms are found that include

principles of through-composed composition, extensive repetition, and use of ritornello.

In his use of antiphonal parts and the wide variety of voice distributions we find a

clear formal structure. This is not considering his use of harmony, melody, and rhythm.

In the development of his chord progressions, his use of consistent root movement of the

fifth, anticipates the tonal evolution that emerged during the 17th

century. The height of

the polychoral use in music was from 1580 to 1630 according to Larson, but the decline

of its use is rapid after that time. Giovanni’s development of the Venetian polychoral

style was in fact due to the use of the two opposing choir lofts, raised above the main

altar and on either side of it, and the use of two organs, one on each side. The most

notable of the Venetian school developments were created due to the Byzantine edifice of

St. Mark’s which had a musical tradition since the middle ages of using opposite organs

and choir stalls to create compositional effect. Denis Arnold describes Book II of

Symphoniae Sacrae (1615); “It clearly influenced German music far more that even the

followers of Gabrieli in Venice who were moved to follow Montverde’s innovations. It is

no coincidence that the volume was dedicated (not by Gabrieli himself, however) to the

Abbot of the church and monastery of St. Ulrich and St. Afra, and that in this civic


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church of Augsburg, more of Gabrieli’s music is found both in early printed volumes and

in manuscript copies, than in any single Italian library. It is in the work of Michael

Praetorius and Heinrich Schutz (Schultz being the most notable and successful student of

Giovanni’s) that the continuation of Giovanni’s late style is to be found.”3

Giovanni’s Baroque Standing

Giovanni is the leader of the polychoral Venetian School, but to some the question still

remains is whether his music belongs to the Renaissance or Baroque period. The

monumental choral works of Giovanni in Books I and II of the polychoral Symphoniae

Sacrae represent what we find at the height of early Baroque scared music. His use of

multiple choirs of contrasting tonal quality, this is the style that eventually became the

concertato style which is part of 17th

century Baroque music. Reese in “Music in the

Renaissance,” says “The same device (the various choirs in a single piece are differently

constituted and are contrasted and united with one another so as to produce the greatest

brilliance and power) is used with striking eloquence in Giovanni’s ‘In ecclesiis.’ With

his compositions, however we have definitely crossed the border into the domain of

Baroque music.”4 In regard to Giovanni’s use of harmony they are much nearer to the

later Baroque period than anything else of his time. He uses constant recurrence of

cadencial figures and primary triads leading some in his time to call his music “modern.”

Denis Arnold is convinced of Giovanni’s Baroque classification, “That he [Gabrieli] was

active just during the greatest flowering of Venice under the Doge, Marino Grimani, and

was able to use the richest musical resources, he was in a position to employ large

3 Larson, “An Analysis of Selected Polychoral Motets of Giovanni Gabrieli in Preparation for

Performance,” pgs. 31-324 Larson, “An Analysis of Selected Polychoral Motets of Giovanni Gabrieli in Preparation for

Performance,” pg. 32


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instrumental and vocal ensembles. Herein lies his connection with the great Venetian

painters of the time. With the new color and effectiveness of his music and his nervous

sensitivity to the connection between the work and the tone, with his leaning toward

contrasts and the change of rich sections, he became the creator of the musical Baroque

style.”5 When we look at Giovanni’s use of meter and rhythm we see both elements of

Renaissance and Baroque. His earlier works show the use of the Renaissance practice of

longer vocal lines with little metric interruption. Within pieces he will use both

Renaissance polyphonic rhythm and with the “Alleluia” use the metric rhythmic device

more common in his later polychoral works. Later, his use of triple meter was much

greater than what was found in the music of the Renaissance. A very typical rhythmic

device Giovanni used is how he would set up the word “Alleluia.” It is presented in triple

meter with the verbal accent in the normal place there exists within the pull between the

up-beat feeling of the word and the down-beat setting it receives from Giovanni. The

conductor must know what to do and not let the verbal stress guide the performance of

the “Alleluia.” Giovanni would use dotted rhythms in the instrument parts, wind

instruments in particular can play these clean and clear by virtue of how the sound is

created on the instrument through tonguing. The sinfonia in the middle of ‘In ecclesiis’

illustrates this point. Giovanni is also, according to Michael Praetorious, the first to

indicate Sonate pian eforte in Book I of Symphoniae Sacrae, the dynamic designation of

piano forte. Usually, he just mixes the vocal and instrumental choirs by virtue of their

range and tone color, and they dynamically contrast enough. His textures are used in a

similar way.




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Most often he will begin a work with a polyphonic texture in one of the two, three, or

four choirs, alternate the texture to the other, and then join them together either in a large

and thick polyphonic texture or in a large homophonic texture. Even in his early work, he

makes use of the homophonic, chord-like texture that was to become one of his

trademarks. Within Giovanni’s polychordal motets, we see his use of voice leading, his

development of the concertato principle, including a strong sense of instrumental color,

use of dynamics and his melodic treatment of text. Kenton list these characteristics and

goes on to call attention to the aspect of form. “The most prominent stylistic feature” of

Giovanni’s music, the feature that “appears to be his major preoccupation.”

6

Kenton goes

on to cite these elements that help in determining form; the end repetition, or reprise, the

“Alleluia” refrain, the use of sections of triple meter in a piece predominantly in binary

meter, the general pause (used coincidentally for dramatic, text-related purposes) and the

use of sound contrast. Giovanni Gabrieli is essentially a composer of music for the

church. Of the church works about 76 are polychoral. Ranging from simple duple meter

chorus works patterned on the Renaissance style, to the large four and five chorus works

of his later years with their multi-sonorous levels, obtained by use of opposing vocal

choirs, instrumental choirs, and soloists, such as in the famous ‘In ecclesiis.’ All the

elements that Giovanni uses that are Baroque he uses in ‘In ecclesiis.’

‘In Ecclesiis’

‘In ecclesiis’ first appears as the 26th item in Book II of Symphoniae Sacrae published in

1615, three years after Giovanni’s death. The text used in “In ecclesiis” is typical of

many of the motets of Giovanni in that it is not the usual liturgical or biblical source.




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The text is six long lines and each is followed by an “Alleluia” except for line 4.

In the congregations bless ye the Lord;

Alleluia;

In every place of his dominion bless the Lord O my soul;Alleluia;In God is my help and my hope is in God,

In God my Saviour and my glory;Alleluia;

Our God, we call upon Thee, we praise Thee, we praise Thee;Deliver us, preserve us grant us life;

Alleluia;O God, our helper for ever and ever;

Alleluia.

Original Text:

In ecclesiis benedicite domino;Alleluia;

In omni loco dominationis beneic, anima mea dominum;Alleluia;

In Deo salutari meo et gloria mea. Deus auxilium meum et spes mea in Deo est;Alleluia;

Deus noster te invocamus, te laudamus, te adoramus.Libera nos, salva nos, vivifica nos;

Alleluia;Deus adiutor noster in aeternum;

Alleluia.

In ‘In ecclesiis’ Giovanni’s polychoral techniques, includes using three choirs. The first a

full choir of voices, next a choir of solo voices and the third an instrumental group, all

supported by the organ. The style is dramatic and rich. He uses rondo and refrain

patterns, with the triple meter “Alleluia” sections, which bind this piece together. This

rondo motet, with the traditional triple time “Alleluia” refrain, a sinfonia, and a grand

climax, with solemn chords announcing the ultimate phase of the piece. This piece is

sectional and can be divided in ‘movements,’ each with its own resources, solo or

ensemble, chorus or orchestra, normally finishing on a cadence, which marks the division


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from the next section following it. The sinfonia section, instead of preceding the work

like an organ prelude, is after the final chord of the second statement of the alleluia. The

solo sections of the work mostly have organ accompaniment to fill in the harmonies. Solo

voices are given ornaments to sing. The cappella by contrast is written in solid chordal

blocks, with no embellishment. The skills of the instrumentalists are fully developed; the

cornettists are given ‘backfalls’ and other semiquaver figurations and play the dotted

rhythms for contrast. Arnold says, “This is truly concertante music, in which contrasts

between resources and skills are assumed it the way of the later concerto and the Baroque

cantata.”

7

In the later Baroque era the sections would be broadened and made into

separate pieces, which would make the whole with the role of orchestra becoming more

prevalent.

Giovanni’s Final Years

Giovanni Gabrieli suffered the last eight years of his life with a kidney stone. This was

the recorded reason for his death. Like most composers of his time, he was promptly

forgotten. On his death bed Giovanni gave his last pupil Heinrich Schutz his ring. Schutz

left Venice a few months after his teachers death. The last fifteen years of his life,

Giovanni had not published any of his works. Probably leaving it for others to take care

of after his death as he had done for Andrea following the death of his uncle. It was three

years before his works were published and without much care. Both the

Symphoniae Sacrae and Canzoni e Sonate were full of misprints where his Concerti of

1587 was not. In Venice, there was not a note of his manuscripts recorded within church

documents.

7 Arnold, “Giovanni Gabrieli and the Music of the Venetian High Renaissance,” pg. 291


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The most valuable body of unpublished music was found in the Murhardsche und

Landgraves at Kassel. Interestingly, many of his works that were found in Germany

were in the German notation. These works existed no where else. While in Venice

Giovanni’s style faded, intensely religious works fell out of favor. After the death of

cornettist Bassano in 1617, strings replaced the wind section at St. Mark’s. And while

many great string players came out of St. Mark’s, the compositions had changed. The

texture and color were no longer like that of Giovanni’s. In Germany however, the style

grew in favor especially with the Jesuits. The expression of emotion with devote religious

themes as developed by Giovanni continued to evolve and develop in German church

music. Many of the psalms composed for the churches in Germany reach that Giovannian

expression. Giovanni Gabrieli through the many students that came to study in Venice

from Germany, effected musical development not through the Venetians but through his

German connections.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Arnold, Denis. Giovanni Gabrieli. London: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Arnold, Denis. Giovanni Gabrieli and the music of the Venetian High Renaissance.

London; New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.

Bartlett, Clifford and Peter Holman. “Giovanni Gabrieli: A Guide To The Performance

Of His Instrumental Music,” Early Music, 3, p. 25 (1975).

Brown, Frank N. Constructive features of selected works of Giovanni Gabrieli and IgorStravinsky a lecture recital, together with four recitals of selected works of J. Ott, W.

Lovelock, E. Bloch, J. Davison, D. White, R. Boutry, L. Grohndahl, V. Persichetti, H.Stevens.

Carter, Tim. Music In Late Renaissance & Early Baroque Italy. London: B.T. Batsford

Limited, 1992.

Carter, Tim and John Butt, ed. “The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music.Cambridge University Press.

Charteris, Richard. “Iberian Discoveries III: Newly discovered manuscript parts and

annotations in a copy of Giovanni Gabrieli’s Symphoniae sacrae (1615),” Early Music,23/3 (Aug. 1995) p. 487.

De Revere, E. Jon. Research Leading to a More Definitive Performance of the Motets

Jubilate Deo and In Ecclesiis by Giovanni Gabrieli. M.M. Thesis. Manhattan School ofMusic, 1976.

Flower, John A. Giovanni Gabrieli’s Sacrae Symphoniae. MM. Thesis. University of

Michigan, 1977.

Hill, John Walter. “Church Music in Italy, 1600-1650,” Baroque Music: Music inWestern Europe 1580-1750. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005. pp. 106-107.

Hill, John Walter, ed. Anthology of Baroque Music. New York: W.W. Norton &

Company, 2005.

Kenton, Egon. Life and Works of Giovanni Gabrieli. American Institute of Musicology,1967.

Roche, Jerome. A dictionary of early music: from the troubadours to Monteverdi. New

York: Oxford University Press, 1981.

Roche, Jerome. North Italian church music in the age of Monteverdi. Oxford: ClarendonPress, 1984.


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Sadie, Stanley and John Tyrrell, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians,

2nd

ed. London: Oxford University Press, (2001).

DISCOGRAPHY:

Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players & Paul McCreesh. In Ecclesiis A 14, GiovanniGabrieli. Music for San rocco. 1996 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg.

E. Power Biggs. The Edward Tarr Brass Ensemble & The Texas Boys Choir.

Symphoniae sacrae, Book 2: In ecclesiis [Motet in 15 parts for three choirs]. GreatPerformances: The Glory of Gabrieli. 2006 Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

Berlin Philharmonic Brass & The Canadian Brass, In ecclesiis, Giovanni Gabrieli. Brass

in Berlin, 1984 Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

giovanni gabrieli the musical times his

Documents