Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam conducted by Wim Becu.
I - 0:00
Gabrieli's "Cantate Domino" was published in Volume I of "Symphoniae sacrae I". Printed in Venice on 1597, the collection comprises a large number of works of sacred and secular nature; 45 motets (ranging from between 6 and 16 voices), 16 canzonas and sonatas. These works show Gabrieli departing from the influences of his uncle Andrea, as found in the works of the 1587 "Concerti" collection, wich would culminate in the works of "Symphoniae sacrae II", published posthumously on 1615 and which represent Gabrieli's magnum opus. In its original form, "Cantate Domino" is scored for a single choir of six voices a cappella, which is quite modest compared to the larger and more ambitious motets of the volume.
Just as many European composers beat a trail to Venice to study with the renowned musicians there, the Venetian Giovanni Gabrieli’s earliest studies were with his uncle Andrea, at St Mark’s, before he travelled north to Munich to learn from the esteemed and influential Orlando de Lassus. Returning to Venice, he was appointed to St Mark’s as organist and subsequently, following his uncle’s death, as principal composer. Gabrieli's career rose further when he took the additional post of organist at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, another post he retained for his entire life. San Rocco was the most prestigious and wealthy of all the Venetian confraternities, and second only to San Marco itself in the splendour of its musical establishment.
San Marco had a long tradition of musical excellence and Gabrieli's work there made him one of the most noted composers in Europe. The vogue that began with his influential volume "Sacrae symphoniae" (1597) was such that composers from all over Europe, especially from Germany, came to Venice to study. Evidently, he also instructed his new pupils to study the madrigals being written in Italy, so not only did they carry back the grand Venetian polychoral style to their home countries, but also the more intimate style of madrigals; Heinrich Schütz and others helped transport the transitional early Baroque music north to Germany, a trend that decisively affected subsequent music history. The productions of the German Baroque, culminating in the music of J.S. Bach, were founded on this strong tradition, which had its roots in Venice.
The motet sets verses from Psalm 96 in Latin, celebrating the joy of singing to the Lord. The texture alternates between homophonic declamation (ideal for textual clarity) and contrapuntal imitative passages, giving the work both ceremonial weight and rhythmic vitality. The harmonic language, though rooted in Renaissance modality, incorporates bold sonorities and cadential gestures that anticipate early Baroque expressiveness. The piece’s structure reflects Gabrieli’s mastery of large-scale architecture: short, jubilant motifs move between the voices, often answered by fuller tutti sections that heighten the sense of celebration. Instrumental doubling was likely intended, reinforcing the choral lines and adding brilliance to climactic moments.
[Activate subtitles to see the lyrics in Latin/English].
Picture: "La Gloria" (also known as "The Trinity", "The Final Judgement", "Paradise", and "Adoration of the Trinity") by the Italian painter Titian (1551-4)
Sources: tinyurl.com/2chnmus3 and Copilot GPT-5
To check the score: tinyurl.com/2754xmkd
Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam conducted by Wim Becu.
I - 0:00
Gabrieli's "Cantate Domino" was published in Volume I of "Symphoniae sacrae I". Printed in Venice on 1597, the collection comprises a large number of works of sacred and secular nature; 45 motets (ranging from between 6 and 16 voices), 16 canzonas and sonatas. These works show Gabrieli departing from the influences of his uncle Andrea, as found in the works of the 1587 "Concerti" collection, wich would culminate in the works of "Symphoniae sacrae II", published posthumously on 1615 and which represent Gabrieli's magnum opus. In its original form, "Cantate Domino" is scored for a single choir of six voices a cappella, which is quite modest compared to the larger and more ambitious motets of the volume.
Just as many European composers beat a trail to Venice to study with the renowned musicians there, the Venetian Giovanni Gabrieli’s earliest studies were with his uncle Andrea, at St Mark’s, before he travelled north to Munich to learn from the esteemed and influential Orlando de Lassus. Returning to Venice, he was appointed to St Mark’s as organist and subsequently, following his uncle’s death, as principal composer. Gabrieli's career rose further when he took the additional post of organist at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, another post he retained for his entire life. San Rocco was the most prestigious and wealthy of all the Venetian confraternities, and second only to San Marco itself in the splendour of its musical establishment.
San Marco had a long tradition of musical excellence and Gabrieli's work there made him one of the most noted composers in Europe. The vogue that began with his influential volume "Sacrae symphoniae" (1597) was such that composers from all over Europe, especially from Germany, came to Venice to study. Evidently, he also instructed his new pupils to study the madrigals being written in Italy, so not only did they carry back the grand Venetian polychoral style to their home countries, but also the more intimate style of madrigals; Heinrich Schütz and others helped transport the transitional early Baroque music north to Germany, a trend that decisively affected subsequent music history. The productions of the German Baroque, culminating in the music of J.S. Bach, were founded on this strong tradition, which had its roots in Venice.
The motet sets verses from Psalm 96 in Latin, celebrating the joy of singing to the Lord. The texture alternates between homophonic declamation (ideal for textual clarity) and contrapuntal imitative passages, giving the work both ceremonial weight and rhythmic vitality. The harmonic language, though rooted in Renaissance modality, incorporates bold sonorities and cadential gestures that anticipate early Baroque expressiveness. The piece’s structure reflects Gabrieli’s mastery of large-scale architecture: short, jubilant motifs move between the voices, often answered by fuller tutti sections that heighten the sense of celebration. Instrumental doubling was likely intended, reinforcing the choral lines and adding brilliance to climactic moments.
[Activate subtitles to see the lyrics in Latin/English].
Picture: "La Gloria" (also known as "The Trinity", "The Final Judgement", "Paradise", and "Adoration of the Trinity") by the Italian painter Titian (1551-4)
Sources: tinyurl.com/2chnmus3 and Copilot GPT-5
To check the score: tinyurl.com/2754xmkd
