The Golden Age

It is well known that in Venice a "Golden Age" of compositional, vocal, and instrumental musical creativity and virtuosity emerged, and then flourished during the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s. The 16th century experienced a substantial development in the cappella ducale of Saint Mark's, which, until the end of the 17th century, remained the leading center of musical activity in the city. Evidence of this comes from the profusion of significant musicians that it received in that "Golden Age": either as maestri di cappella, or as organists (Claudio Merulo, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli), or as virtuoso instrumentalists (the cornet player Giovanni Bassano). Claudio Merulo and Andrea Gabrieli played a decisive role in the simultaneous emergence of Venetian keyboard and stile concertato music. The latter's nephew Giovanni Gabrieli can be thought of as the standard-bearer of the Venetian School as a whole. The cornett virtuoso Giovanni Bassano composed magnificent polychoral motets in stile concertato for the idiosyncratic liturgy found at St Mark's. With such works Bassano emerges as the worthy successor of the Gabrielis. Les Traversees Baroques, on this release, explores all of these composers of the Golden Age.