Canzon Duodecimi Toni a 8 No. 174 by Giovanni Gabrieli Brass Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1953895

Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist who exploited the use of dynamics and the use of massive forces arrayed in multiple, spatially separated groups. When combined with his use of alternating dynamics and the acoustics of the church at San Marco, Venice where he worked, the maximum effect of sonority simply delighted his audiences.

Published in Gabrieli's landmark collection Sacrae Symphoniae, this piece reflects his time as the principal organist at the Basilica San Marco in Venice. The layout and architecture of the basilica naturally inspired the composer to exploit space and acoustics. By splitting the ensemble into two equal, four-part choirs, Gabrieli utilized an echoing, conversational dialogue that moves between the groups before bringing them together for powerful, unified climaxes.

The title translates to "in the twelfth tone" (based on the Ionian or Aeolian modes), which dictates the harmonic framework of the piece. The work alternates between driving, rhythmically active homophonic textures and more introspective, melodic writing, showcasing the contrasting sonorities of the Renaissance brass and wind instruments of the time such as cornetts and sackbuts.

This setting, for 8 brass instruments in 2 choirs utilizes the cori spezzati (split choirs) technique popularized by the Venetian polychoral style. Choir 1 and Choir 2 trade musical themes back and forth before joining together in grand, tutti climaxes, mirroring the acoustics of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.