Giovanni Gabrieli - Sacrae Symphoniae

The great Italian composer and organist Giovanni Gabrieli composed his sacred concerto titled "Sacrae Symphoniae" in 1597. In Venice, where Gabrielli worked as organist of the St. Mark Cathedral, it was in practice in the late 16th century to combine instrumental groups, mainly winds, with voices.
 In the recording below, we can hear a great rendition of Gabrielli's sound world, especially because the piece is performed on period instruments. "Les Saqboutieres", an ensemble based in Toulouse, France performs exclusively on period brass instruments. (more about them in a future post). Enjoy !