Music For San Rocco: Suscipe, clementissime Deus a 12
Music For San Rocco: Canzona No. 14 a 10
Music For San Rocco: Buccinate In neomenia tuba a 19
Music For San Rocco: Intonazione del nono tono
Music For San Rocco: Domine Dues meus a 6
Music For San Rocco: Audi, dulcis amica mea
Music For San Rocco: Sonata No. 21 con tre violini
Music For San Rocco: Ardens est cor meum
Music For San Rocco: Timor et tremor a 6
Music For San Rocco: Intonazione duodecimo tono
Music For San Rocco: Jubilate Deo a 10
Music For San Rocco: Sonata No. 18 a 14
Music For San Rocco: Misericordia tua, Domine a 12
Music For San Rocco: Sonata No. 20 a 22
Music For San Rocco: Magnificat a 33
The polychoral and antiphonal works of Giovanni Gabrieli sound best performed in the acoustics for which they were conceived, such as the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, where this splendid collection was recorded.... more » Whether in extroverted pieces like the Sonatas 18 and 20, or the introspective and harmonically rich Domine, Deus meus, the sounds that resonate between the notes are crucial to this composer's expression. Time and again one's ears perk up at Gabrieli's genius for blending the most unlikely sonorities imaginable, such as six low voices and six sackbuts (early relatives of the trombone) in the extraordinary Suscipe clementissime. Although Gabrieli may have been the first "spatial" composer, or perhaps the first sound designer, he never indulges in fanciful effects for their own sake. The sonics manage to convey the music's spatial requirements without sacrificing clarity. --Jed Distler« less
The polychoral and antiphonal works of Giovanni Gabrieli sound best performed in the acoustics for which they were conceived, such as the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, where this splendid collection was recorded. Whether in extroverted pieces like the Sonatas 18 and 20, or the introspective and harmonically rich Domine, Deus meus, the sounds that resonate between the notes are crucial to this composer's expression. Time and again one's ears perk up at Gabrieli's genius for blending the most unlikely sonorities imaginable, such as six low voices and six sackbuts (early relatives of the trombone) in the extraordinary Suscipe clementissime. Although Gabrieli may have been the first "spatial" composer, or perhaps the first sound designer, he never indulges in fanciful effects for their own sake. The sonics manage to convey the music's spatial requirements without sacrificing clarity. --Jed Distler
Timothy Dougal | Madison, Wi United States | 12/27/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Music for San Rocco" gives us a most generous collection of Gabrieli music(78 min.), beautifully performed and gorgeously recorded. The album as a whole is well paced, alternating the grand, the meditative and the purely instumental with intelligence and sensitivity. And the singing is always enthusiastic and downright rapturous!For me, this is also McCreesh's best album because it is not a reconstruction. I have heard several of these discs, and the reconstructions of Mass or vesper services might be interesting to listen to once, or maybe even twice if you have never been ot a genuine Catholic service of this sort. But frankly, liturgies, and liturgical chants are not entertainment, and generally are purely functional rather than entertaining. If you want just the real music on these discs, you have to program out 20-25% of the selections! More music and less turgid liturgical history for me, Paul!"
Excellent!
04/14/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not much of an early music buff, but being acquainted with one of the soloists on the disc, I decided to spring for it. Am I glad I did! This is one absolutely stunning album. The incomparable David Hurley himself makes this disc a must for your collection."
Gabrieli, the original surround sound performer
Stephen J. Swellander | San Antonio, Texas USA | 07/03/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Being only marginally acquainted with the music of Gabrieli and his period, I have little to add to comments already made. I must confess that two discs worth of 16th century liturgical music runs a little long for me. I'll focus instead on the sound of the SACD version.
This was one of my first SACD purchases, and I chose it because I knew that Gabrieli wrote for multiple choirs situated in different sections of the church, and figured that, if the engineers did their jobs right, this could be a stunning demonstration disc.
It is.
Gabrieli's music is a natural of mutichannel reproduction. In Timothy Roberts' opening organ toccata, the sense of space in this recording is uncanny. "In ecclesiis" envelops the listener with front and back chorus and soloists whose voices soar with a fullness that we can usually only experience in a real basilica. The only thing missing is the upper reverberation that you get in a real church. If your rear speakers are elevated like mine are (I had to work within the limitations of my room--doors and such!), you may get some of that sense.
If you are at all interested in the music of Gabrieli, this is the recording to get. If you are set up for multichannel sound with an SACD player, be sure to get it in that format. To hear it with the separation and sonic detail of San Rocco, brings this very old music alive. The music was reportedly composed for the larger Saint Mark's Cathedral, but for recording purposes San Rocco was deemed preferable. The church itself is a beautiful instrument and is hard to capture faithfully in just two channels."
This is how you perform the music of Gabrieli!
Steven Guy | Croydon, South Australia | 11/05/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There is little I can add to what the other reviewers have said about this tremendous recording. The performances are very good, the tempi are well chosen and the instruments are the rights ones.There are many excellent contributions from individuals - Robin Blaze is positively heroic in Buccinate in neomenia tuba. The three violins in Sonata XXI con tre violini play this music with great sensuality. The cornettists are all first rate and so are the sackbut players.It all sounds very good and the music is wonderful.Let's just hope that the video of this recording is issued on DVD soon! (Let DGG know you wan them to do this!)"
Giovanni Gabrieli: Music For San Rocco
Bjorn Viberg | European Union | 08/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am huge fan of music from this time period and I have listened to countless composers that are able to create and compose stupendous and astounding music. Gabrieli is one those geniuses. Music for San Rocco is a splendid piece and I agree with Thomas Coryat whom wrote an amazing review at the time of when the piece was performed. Being a deeply devout Lutheran I love the lyrics and I love the message of the San Rocco celebrations. Listening to it reminds one of being in Sunday mass and I love this since Sunday is my favorite day of the week. The book-let is well done with a short piece that scans the history of this splendid work and has the lyrics in several languages. I am huge fan of renaisance art and the cover art is absolutely gorgeous. I can not say enough good things or give it enough accolades. This is simply put it sublime."