Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557–1612) was an Italian composer and organist.… Read Full Bio ↴Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557–1612) was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.
He was probably born in Venice and probably studied with his uncle, the composer Andrea Gabrieli. He became the principal organist and composer at the church of San Marco in Venice, where his work made him one of the most noted composers in Europe. He used the church's unusual layout to create striking spatial effects. The vogue which began with his influential volume Sacrae symphoniae (1597) was such that composers from all over Europe, especially from Germany, went to Venice to study.
All of Gabrieli's secular vocal music was composed relatively early; later in his career he concentrated on sacred vocal and instrumental music, which exploited sonority for maximum effect. His best-known piece is arguably In Ecclesiis, which makes use of four separate groups of instrumental and singing performers, underpinned by the omnipresent organ and continuo.
Gabrieli was increasingly ill after about 1606, at which time church authorities began to appoint deputies to take over duties he could no longer perform. He died in 1612, of complications from a kidney stone.
He was probably born in Venice and probably studied with his uncle, the composer Andrea Gabrieli. He became the principal organist and composer at the church of San Marco in Venice, where his work made him one of the most noted composers in Europe. He used the church's unusual layout to create striking spatial effects. The vogue which began with his influential volume Sacrae symphoniae (1597) was such that composers from all over Europe, especially from Germany, went to Venice to study.
All of Gabrieli's secular vocal music was composed relatively early; later in his career he concentrated on sacred vocal and instrumental music, which exploited sonority for maximum effect. His best-known piece is arguably In Ecclesiis, which makes use of four separate groups of instrumental and singing performers, underpinned by the omnipresent organ and continuo.
Gabrieli was increasingly ill after about 1606, at which time church authorities began to appoint deputies to take over duties he could no longer perform. He died in 1612, of complications from a kidney stone.
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Canzon XI
Giovanni Gabrieli Lyrics
No lyrics text found for this track.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
zaknefain100
I remember walking up to the band director as a child, a year later than most the other kids because art--which was a love of mine as well--wasn't going too well, as I was never happy with my work and would often trash classroom assignments before the class ended. I told her, "I want to play trumpet" and she smiled, chuckled a little, then looked at me and said, "Well, you look like you could play trumpet". She then went to her desk and pulled out a mouthpiece, showed me how to set the embouchure and played a "note", then handed it to me and sent me on my way. The next day she issued me an instrument and gave me a cassette tape; Side A: "Gabrieli Brass Ensemble", Side B: Maynard Ferguson's "Birdland".
"I want you to listen to side A and really pay attention to the sound... Side B is only for fun."
Needless to say I was astounded by this new sound as I'd never heard much beyond a bugle call from a brass instrument. I remember thinking, "They sound like bells ringing".... as I let the sound of Gabrieli wash over me like a warm blanket --I was totally hooked. That went on for a few weeks; play, rewind, repeat.
This still has exactly the same impression on me... if there is a god, then Gabrieli most assuredly captured his/her essence in his music.
As for Side B... well, I became amazed all over again. :)
zaknefain100
I remember walking up to the band director as a child, a year later than most the other kids because art--which was a love of mine as well--wasn't going too well, as I was never happy with my work and would often trash classroom assignments before the class ended. I told her, "I want to play trumpet" and she smiled, chuckled a little, then looked at me and said, "Well, you look like you could play trumpet". She then went to her desk and pulled out a mouthpiece, showed me how to set the embouchure and played a "note", then handed it to me and sent me on my way. The next day she issued me an instrument and gave me a cassette tape; Side A: "Gabrieli Brass Ensemble", Side B: Maynard Ferguson's "Birdland".
"I want you to listen to side A and really pay attention to the sound... Side B is only for fun."
Needless to say I was astounded by this new sound as I'd never heard much beyond a bugle call from a brass instrument. I remember thinking, "They sound like bells ringing".... as I let the sound of Gabrieli wash over me like a warm blanket --I was totally hooked. That went on for a few weeks; play, rewind, repeat.
This still has exactly the same impression on me... if there is a god, then Gabrieli most assuredly captured his/her essence in his music.
As for Side B... well, I became amazed all over again. :)
Charles How
Do you play the trumpet now
Therese Christiansen
Great teacher....
William Hammann
Good ending. 'Only for fun' OK sure.
Joao Aurelio
God i loved this story! Kudos
captebbtide
You had a great music teacher who wisely introduced you to great music!
Kauê Matheus
Muito interessante, nota-se que a música renascentista do século XVI deu início a separação da parte vocal com a instrumental, resultando em uma grande autonomia na sonora. Giovanni Gabrieli instigou esta mudança.
EM Tech
By far my favorite Gabrieli piece. My high school brass ensemble just played this and i loved every minute of it.
Jan Robitscher
Beautiful and played in a wonderful acoustic!
flemming dalsgaard
Elegant brass music! That's what I call heavy metal!
You can see and feel the church of Saint Marcus. It was a time of much cruelty and violence. But a time of astounding beauty too! With no proof, I would say that other composers like Pretorius and Byrd might have listened to music from Venice.