Mass for Sant’Apollinare
La Cappella Marciana
conductor Marco Gemmani
Giovanni Legrenzi
Messa a San Marco per Sant’Aponal (Sant’Apollinare) Venice 1670
The Po Valley was evangelised during the first centuries of Christianity, which explains why the most important cities here often share the same founding martyr saints. For example, the memory of Saint Apollinaris, the proto-bishop whom Ravenna chose as its patron saint and whose remains it still preserves, is also solemnly celebrated in Venice, in the Basilica of Saint Mark, on 23 July. In 1670 the choirmaster of the Venetian Basilica, Giovanni Legrenzi, was probably commissioned to compose for the occasion. Born in Bergamo, Legrenzi was a key figure in the development of instrumental music, laying the foundations for its success in the following century. And although it is not certain that Antonio Vivaldi was his pupil, he certainly listened to his music and adopted its basic features.
