The Glory of San Marco: A Musical Tribute

Strategic Insights -

The Abbey of San Marco in Venice is a place of great cultural and musical significance, with the works of the Gabrielis being a particular highlight of its rich musical heritage. A recent concert by the Choir of Ormond College, conducted by Douglas Lawrence, brought the gloriously rich works of the Gabrielis to life in a performance that was both dazzling and sonorously impressive. The concert featured a range of pieces, including motets by Palestrina, Marenzio, and Giordano, as well as a Frescobaldi toccata and two Gabrieli canzone performed by the brass choir of cornetti and sackbuts, Fonte Musicali.

Key Takeaways:

  • The concert featured a range of pieces from the 16th and early 17th centuries, including motets by Palestrina, Marenzio, and Giordano.
  • The performance by the brass choir of cornetti and sackbuts, Fonte Musicali, was "authentic and arresting" and brought new life to Gabrieli's canzone.
  • The Ormond group's reading of Palestrina's 'Sicut Cervus' was "moving and gentle".
  • The concert focused on the three Giovanni Gabrieli motets for brass and singers, which were essayed with about 30 singers.
  • The performance of the 'Buccinate in Neomenia' motet suffered from a lean vocal texture, which made the result "little more than a euphonious buzz".
  • The conductor, Douglas Lawrence, peppered the concert with some motets by Palestrina, Marenzio, and Giordano, as well as a Frescobaldi toccata.

Statistics:

  • The concert featured a range of pieces from the 16th and early 17th centuries.
  • The brass choir of cornetti and sackbuts, Fonte Musicali, performed Gabrieli's canzone.
  • The Ormond group's reading of Palestrina's 'Sicut Cervus' was performed with 30 singers.
  • The performance of the 'Buccinate in Neomenia' motet suffered from a lean vocal texture of about 30 singers.
  • The ABC Mozart Plus Series No. 4 concert was the latest in a series of concerts featuring the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
  • The Melbourne Symphony Concert Hall was the venue for the ABC Mozart Plus Series No. 4 concert.

Sources:

  • ABC Mozart Plus Series No. 4: violin Dene Olding, viola Irina Morozova, conductor Mark Elder
  • Byline: CLIVE O'CONNELL
  • Concert review published in The Age, Melbourne