Gabrieli, Giovanni (1556–1612)

Abstract Gabrieli was the outstanding figure in the Venetian High Renaissance and the master of the polychoral style. He succeeded his uncle Andrea as organist at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. In 1585 he was appointed organist to the religious confraternity of the Scuola Grande di S. Rocco in addition to his duties at St. Mark's. Here he developed the cori spezzati form with the idiomatic use of instruments, increased use of dissonance, and contrasting sound and texture. His works include Masses and motets and also works for Christmas such as Hodie Christus natus est and O Jesu mi dulcissime . He composed ceremonial music for the cathedral and was the first to compose vocal works with independent instrumental parts. He composed nearly 100 motets, a large number of Mass sections including one complete Ordinary, many works for instrumental ensembles, and some organ pieces. His major vocal works were assembled and published in 1597 and (posthumously) in 1615 as Sacrae Symphoniae . Gabrieli cultivated the art of contrast in his music, especially the art of contrasting sonorities. In his earlier works, such as Magnum Mysterium and O Domine Jesu Christe , he introduced antiphonal choirs in a diatonic idiom. He also relied on thematic brevity and speech rhythms. In his later works he specified the instrumental parts and differentiated their style from the vocal parts and the style of solo vocalists from choral singing. He used tone‐painting through heightened use of dissonance and chromaticism. In his concertato‐like motet In Ecclesiis benedicite Domino (In the Congregation, Praise the Lord) he employed two soloists, two four‐part choirs, and a six‐part instrumental ensemble to achieve maximum contrasts of thematic material, texture, meter, and sonority, all unified by a recurring Alleluia chorus.