Giovanni Croce

Born in Chioggia, a fishing village on the south western perimeter of Venice's lagoon, Giovanni Croce (1556-1609) made a major contribution to the musical life of the Veneto, eventually becoming maestro di cappella at St Mark's Basilica. It was, however, as a composer of mellifluous madrigals and motets that he achieved widespread fame throughout Europe. The demand for his music caused many of his collections to be reprinted, some of them time and timeagain. Indeed, his first book of motets for eight voices, found here, appeared in more editions than any of his other collections, the first in 1594 and the last in 1622. This volume includes an edition of all eighteen of the Latin motets in the collection. A detailed investigation of the music and its sources commences the publication. Among its offerings is information about the usage of the texts, including an English translation for each piece. The volume sheds new light on a wide variety of subjects, including how the works were treated by some of the composer's contemporaries. All the music falls within the standard vocal range and will suit a wide variety of choral groups. Although organ music appears with each work, its use is not essential and the motets can be performed solely by voices. Two exciting motets in the collection celebrate the military triumph of the Israelites over their adversaries, Percussit Saul mille and Benedictus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Striking antiphonal exchanges also appear in many other works, such as in Omnes gentes plaudite manibus, the text of which played such a significant role in theVenetian celebrations of the Feast of the Ascension, which were crowned by the ceremony of the Sposalizio del mare in which the Doge symbolically 'married' the Adriatic on behalf of the Republic. The collection also includes Croce's transcendent setting of Veni in hortum meum, one of his loveliest motets.