Lo Sposalizio: The Wedding of Venice to the Sea

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Venetians have always had a genius for celebration. Take, for example, Ascension Day: what began as a simple gathering of sailors to pray for St. Nicholas's protection became by the 16th century an opulent procession of barges across the Lagoon, a ceremony where the Doge (and Venice) ceremonially married the sea "as a sign of perpetual dominion" over it, and a sumptuous High Mass. Robert King has assembled (on a two-CDs-for-one set) an assortment of music for this occasion. Disc One, the Procession to the Lagoon, has an extraordinary variety of secular pieces: drum tattoos and trumpet fanfares; elegant instrumental works; grand multiple-choir madrigals; delicate pieces for three lutes; even Venetian church bells. The second disc (music from the Mass) has similar instrumental music and sprightly organ pieces mixed with impressive Mass movements for choir, soloists, and brass by the Gabrielis. Now this is a very worthwhile release, and the King's Consort performs very capably, every note in place--what's missing is a sense of excitement and festivity, the energy that Paul McCreesh would bring to such an occasion. (Try Music for San Rocco on DG Archiv and see.) --Matthew Westphal

Tracks:

Single Tolling Bell Of San Marco
Drums
Rotta: Trumpet Fanfare
Vieni, vieni Himeneo: Madrigal a 8
Canzona XXIV a 8
Kapsberger
Cantiam de Dio: Madrigal a 12
Drums
La Battaglia: Canzona
Lieto godea sedendo: Madrigal a 8
Variazioni sopra La Folia: After
La Leona: Canzon XIX a 8
Variazione sopra La Ciaccona: After 17th-Century Italian Examples
Udite, chiari et generosi figli: Madrigal a 16
La Veneziana: Canzona
Imperiale prima: Trumpet Fanfare And Drums

Tracks:

Tolling Church Bell
Imperiale Seconda: Trumpet Fanfare
Kyrie a 12
Gloria a 16
Intonatione Settimo tono
Canzon per otto tromboni
Sursum corda (Plainsong)
Sanctus a 12
Intonatione Primo tono
Christe, adoramus te: Motet a 5
Sonata XX a 22
The Bells Of Venice

Amazon.com

The Venetians have always had a genius for celebration. Take, for example, Ascension Day: what began as a simple gathering of sailors to pray for St. Nicholas's protection became by the 16th century an opulent procession of barges across the Lagoon, a ceremony where the Doge (and Venice) ceremonially married the sea "as a sign of perpetual dominion" over it, and a sumptuous High Mass. Robert King has assembled (on a two-CDs-for-one set) an assortment of music for this occasion. Disc One, the Procession to the Lagoon, has an extraordinary variety of secular pieces: drum tattoos and trumpet fanfares; elegant instrumental works; grand multiple-choir madrigals; delicate pieces for three lutes; even Venetian church bells. The second disc (music from the Mass) has similar instrumental music and sprightly organ pieces mixed with impressive Mass movements for choir, soloists, and brass by the Gabrielis. Now this is a very worthwhile release, and the King's Consort performs very capably, every note in place--what's missing is a sense of excitement and festivity, the energy that Paul McCreesh would bring to such an occasion. (Try Music for San Rocco on DG Archiv and see.) --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

First recordings of some of this music.......2002-08-17

This recording is very impressive. It features a range of sacred and secular vocal and instrumental music by the Gabrielis and their contemporaries. The music is well sung and well played and the whole experience is very impressive. I do agree that Paul McCreesh often does this kind of 'reconstructed event' in music a little better but this is a fine effort.
There are some fabulous pieces here that are rarely recorded and I suspect that some of these works have received their recording debut here.
The vast madrigal by Giovani Gabrieli - 'Udite, chiari e generosi figli' and Andrea Gabrieli's polychoral madrigals 'Cantiam de Dio' and 'Vieni, vieni Himeneo' are beautifully performed here and I know of no other recordings of these works.
The Canzon per otto tromboni by Tiburtio Massaino is a deep and dark piece and suggests that this composer deserves further exploration.
A couple of minor criticisms - the madrigal Lieto Godea is taken at a snail's pace and it is hard to believe listening to this performance that this piece inspired so many composers! Also, the performance of the Sonata XX à 22 is a all right but the recording made by the Taverner Consort & Players under the direction of Andrew Parrott is vastly superior.

Overall, a very entertaining CD with a couple of interpretations that did not impress me very much. Buy with confidence!

Makes me wish I could play the sackbut..........1999-09-08

I have a lot of CD's with Renaissance/Gabrieli music, so I have become rather hypercritical and I didn't dare to expect too much. But thanks to Robert King both 'uncle' Andrea and 'nephew' Giovanni again have moved me deeply (for those who understand Portuguese: saudade...). No CD or book is a 'must', but this performance makes me wish I could play the sackbut (at all/this well).

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