Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
La Guilde des Mercenaires Ensemble conducted by Adrien Mabire.
I - 0:00
Gabrieli's "Inclina Domine aurem tuam" was published in Volume I of "Concerti di Andrea et di Giovanni Gabrieli" in Venice on 1587, a collection mostly dedicated to the works of his uncle Andrea Gabrieli, but also includes Giovanni's first motets. These early works show much influence of his uncle's style in the use of dialogue and echo effects. It is scored for six voices (Cantus, Altus, Quintus, Sextus, Tenor and Bassus), with later arrangements including instrumental accompaniment by trombones and organ. The text is taken from Psalm 68.
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.
Written in D (Aeolian mode), the music moves with a natural rhetoric that mirrors the prayer’s arc: an urgent plea for God to “incline your ear,” an admission of poverty and need, and a closing affirmation of trust. It opens with a canon between cantus and tenor, before the rest of voices join in an imitative counterpoint, culminating in a unison singing with "et exaudi me". This briefly continues with the phrase "inops et pauper sum ego", begun by solo sextus, before a trio begins between cantus, altus and quintus. Another trio then takes place between the sextus, tenor and bassus, leading to a contrapuntal passage between the voices. The work then ends with a solemn unison.
[Activate subtitles to see the lyrics in Latin/English].
Picture: "The Penitent Magdalene" (c. 1565) by the Italian painter Titian.
Musical analysis written by myself.
To check the score: tinyurl.com/2cofmpx5
La Guilde des Mercenaires Ensemble conducted by Adrien Mabire.
I - 0:00
Gabrieli's "Inclina Domine aurem tuam" was published in Volume I of "Concerti di Andrea et di Giovanni Gabrieli" in Venice on 1587, a collection mostly dedicated to the works of his uncle Andrea Gabrieli, but also includes Giovanni's first motets. These early works show much influence of his uncle's style in the use of dialogue and echo effects. It is scored for six voices (Cantus, Altus, Quintus, Sextus, Tenor and Bassus), with later arrangements including instrumental accompaniment by trombones and organ. The text is taken from Psalm 68.
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.
Written in D (Aeolian mode), the music moves with a natural rhetoric that mirrors the prayer’s arc: an urgent plea for God to “incline your ear,” an admission of poverty and need, and a closing affirmation of trust. It opens with a canon between cantus and tenor, before the rest of voices join in an imitative counterpoint, culminating in a unison singing with "et exaudi me". This briefly continues with the phrase "inops et pauper sum ego", begun by solo sextus, before a trio begins between cantus, altus and quintus. Another trio then takes place between the sextus, tenor and bassus, leading to a contrapuntal passage between the voices. The work then ends with a solemn unison.
[Activate subtitles to see the lyrics in Latin/English].
Picture: "The Penitent Magdalene" (c. 1565) by the Italian painter Titian.
Musical analysis written by myself.
To check the score: tinyurl.com/2cofmpx5
