© Angelo Palmieri

The Vespers at San Vitale

Sacred Brass

Romagna Brass
Matteo Fiumara tromba
Luca Piazzi tromba
Monica Sanguedolce tromba
Miloro Vagnini tromba
Maikol Cavallari corno
Damiano Drei trombone
Lorenzo Rocculi trombone
Fausto Civenni tuba

Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612)
dalle Sacrae Symphoniae (1597)

Canzona primi toni a 8 Ch. 170
Canzona septimi toni n. 1 Ch. 171
Canzona septimi toni a 8 n. 2 Ch. 172
Canzona per sonare n. 1 – La Spiritata
Canzona per sonare n. 2
Canzona per sonare n. 4
Canzona I a 5
Canzona noni toni a 8 Ch. 173
Canzona duodecimi toni a 8 Ch. 174
Sonata pian e forte


The concert focuses on the rediscovery of the sacred repertoire of the XVI-century Venetian School, whose greatest exponent was Giovanni Gabrieli. Sacrae Symphoniae is his best and most important collection of motets and “canzoni per sonare”, a testimony to the author’s great inventiveness and extraordinary innovative force. It is worth-remembering that Gabrieli was one of the first composers who wrote expressly for specific instrumental ensembles, and who clearly marked dynamics in his scores.
This is why his Sacrae Symphoniae anticipates the structure of Vivaldi’s concerto grosso. This score was also the first in a repertoire characterized by another fundamental trait: the “double choir”, which magnificently exploited and enhanced the architecture of ancient basilicas for striking spatial effects on the audience.
The instruments used in XVI-century Venice were generally wind (mainly brass) instruments: this is why Romagna Brass feel they are indebted to Gabrieli, who first composed with the sound of their instruments in mind.


Full programme “Vespers at San Vitale”