In its Baroque peak, the little Republic of Venice, the Most Serene Republic, seemed to produce a disproportionate number of excellent musical composers. I will give samples of four of them here.
A nifty map should the extent of the Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia at various times.
Giovanni Gabrieli (+1612AD), his In Ecclesiis. The Church interior shots are from the famous Basilica of San Marco. Gabrieli makes good use of the organ, and certainly likes a big sound from his choir!
Claudio Monteverdi (+1643AD), his motet Beatus Vir, after the Psalm. He is also rightly famous for his Operas, and his 1610AD setting of the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin.
Tomaso Albinoni (+1751), his Concerto Op. 9/2 in d minor, first movement. Not bad for one whose actual trade was that of a printer. Of course, Albinoni is most famous for his Adagios, but we ought not neglect the other parts of his delightful Concerti!
Lastly, the most famous, the "red priest," Antonio Vivaldi (+1741AD), from his "La Stravaganza," Concerto No. 1.
Just to round things out with one of Vivaldi's religious works, we have a setting of the Gloria, RV 589.
Live well!
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