Nascimbeni: Messa Paradis Del Amours, 1612 / Forni, Cappalla Musicalle Di S. Barbara

Mantua, 1612: a cross-section of musical life at the Gonzaga court. In the Palatine Basilica of Santa Barbara, solemn services are celebrated; important composers, singers and instrumentalists, in turn, come to the fore. The precious organ made by Graziadio Antegnati in 1565 enchants the listeners with its timbres. Stefano Nascimbeni, a learned Mantuan musician, has been the kapellmeister of Santa Barbara since 1609. In 1612 he has published a collection of eight-part Masses: among them there is one that is entitled Paradis del Amours, after a chanson from which it has probably drawn both its title and its themes. Alongside the kapellmeister’s music, other compositions have been added here to act as a proprium for this Mass. They are the Read more work of other musicians in the Gonzaga Duke’s employment: Francesco Rasi (first interpreter of Monteverdi’s Orfeo in 1607), Giulio Cardi, Lorenzo Sanci, Ottavio Bargnani, and Amante Franzoni. Besides passages of classical counterpoint writing, these pieces – particularly the motets – clearly contain some expressive elements that are close to the dramatic, “representative”, style of singing that was emerging during the first decades of the 17th century. Read less

1. Messa "Paradis del Amours" by Stefano Nascimbeni

Conductor: Umberto Forni
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cappella Musicale di Santa Barbara
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1612

2. Toccata secondo tono by Anonymous

Conductor: Umberto Forni
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cappella Musicale di Santa Barbara

3. Canzon à 4 by Amante Franzoni