Programme - Lo Sposalizio

The ceremony of Lo Sposalizio began with the ringing of church bells, and a ceremonial fanfare, announcing the arrival of the Doge, the city fathers, and the invited guests, as they boarded the Bucentoro.

Opening Bell
Fanfare After Cesare Bendinelli	Giovanni Gabrieli
Cesare Bendinelli (c1542-1617) was an Italian trumpeter born in Verona. He was the principal trumpet player of the Viennese court from 1567 to 1580, and from then until his death he played for the court of Duke Albrecht in Munich, where he would have known Giovanni Gabrieli as a colleague. Bendinelli was the author of the first known course of published trumpet lessons, Tutta L'arte Della Trombetta (c1614) which gathered together the earliest known pieces for the clarino (upper pitch) register, dating from 1584-88.
Canzon Seconda à 6	Giovanni Gabrieli
This was published in Venice in 1615.
Plaudite, Psallite, Jubilate Deo, Omnis Terra	Giovanni Gabrieli
The text of this motet is drawn from Psalms 66, 67 and 68. It was published in Venice in 1597 and comes from Sacræ Symphoniæ. It is for three choirs of four parts each (SSAT/SATB/ATBB) and consists of sections of elaborate counterpoint in quadruple time, alternating with joyful short antiphonal Alleluias in triple time. Each of the Alleluia sections begins with one choir, builds to a texture of two choirs and ends with all three.
Plaudite, psallite, jubilate Deo, omnis terra.	Clap your hands, sing praises, make a joyful noise to God all ye lands.
Alleluja.	Alleluia.
Benedicant Dominum omnes gentes collaudantes eum.	Let the people praise Thee, O God, let all the people praise Thee.
Alleluja.	Alleluia.
Quia fecit nobiscum Dominus misericordiam suam.	For God who made us is merciful unto us.
Alleluja.	Alleluia.
Et captivam duxit captivitatem, admirabilis et gloriosus in sæcula.	He has led captivity captive, wonderful and glorious for ever.
Alleluja.	Alleluia.
Toccata	Giovanni Picchi
This toccata, by Giovanni Picchi, is a wonderfully quirky little piece for keyboard, improvisatory in style, and the only piece of Italian music that somehow made its way into the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (a remarkable collection of 297 pieces for keyboard, mostly by English composers, compiled in the early seventeenth century). This collection was copied by Francis Tregian, who died in 1619, meaning that Picchi could have been no older than 18 when he wrote it. A toccata (from the Italian ‘toccare’ – to touch) is a piece which is intended to exhibit virtuosity and flair in the music and therefore in the performer.