Born in northern Italy around the turn of the 16th century - no more precise data is available - Girolamo Cavazzoni became organist of the cathedral in Mantova in 1621 and soon after entered the service of the Gonzaga family whose lavish artistic patronage sponsored and encouraged many of the finest Italian composers of the day. During his Mantuan years Cavazzoni taught the organ to Costanzo Antegnati (1549-1624), son of the organ builder at S Barbara, Graziadio Antegnati. Costanzo's L'arte organica (Brescia, 1608) recalls Cavazzoni as 'Hieronimo d'Urbino giÃ mio honorato maestro'. In 1565-6 he supervised the building of the organ in the church of S Barbara, Mantua, and also played the organ there at Mass. This is the very instrument played by Federico Del Sordo, lending his recording a unique authenticity and powerful sense of place and time. The restoration of the single-manual Santa Barbara organ (1995-2006) was undertaken by Giorgio Carli with the aim of returning the instrument to it's original pristine state as far as possible, rather than extending or 'improving' it, and thus the colors of the instrument closely resemble those with which Cavazzoni was familiar. Much of the music here was written for liturgical performance in the alternatim fashion, whereby verses of the Mass text, the Magnificat or an antiphon are alternatively played and embroidered by the organ and then chanted by a choir. Federico Del Sordo draws on two original volumes, printed in Venice in the 1540s, plus a pair of ricercars to be found in multi-authored collections of the time. Together they build a portrait of a composer as stylish as he was pragmatic.

Tracklist:

Recercar Primo
Hymnus Christe Redemptor omnium
Hymnus Ad Conam Agni providi
Recercar Secondo
Hymnus Lucis creator optime
Hymnus Ave Maris Stella
Recercar Terzo
Hymnus Veni creator Spiritus
Hymnus Exultet colum laudibus
Recercar Quarto
Hymnus Pange lingua gloriosi
Hymnus Iste confessor
Canzon sopra I le bel e bon
Hymnus Iesu nostra redemptio
Hymnus Iesu corona virginum
Canzon sopra Falt d'argens
Hymnus Deus tuorum militum
Hymnus Hostis Herodes impie
Magnificat Primi Toni
Magnificat Ottavi Toni
Magnificat Quarti Toni
Magnificat Sexti Toni
Missa Apostolorum~Kyrie
Missa Apostolorum~Gloria
Missa Apostolorum~Credo Cardinalis
Missa Apostolorum~Sanctus
Missa Apostolorum~Agnus Dei
Missa Dominicalis~Kyrie
Missa Dominicalis~Gloria
Missa Dominicalis~Credo Dominicalis
Missa Dominicalis~Sanctus
Missa Dominicalis~Agnus Dei
Missa de Beata Virgine~Kyrie
Missa de Beata Virgine~Gloria
Missa de Beata Virgine~Sanctus
Missa de Beata Virgine~Agnus Dei
Ricercare
Recercar

UPC: 5028421961927
Label: Brilliant Classics
Release Date: 9.10.21
Format: CD

Cavazzoni / Federico Del Sordo / Nova Gregoriana - Complete Organ Music (3pk) (CD)