Musica Fiata, La Capella Ducale & Roland Wilson - Christmas in Venice: Giovanni Gabrieli (2012)

This instrumental ensemble is appreciated for its dynamic vivacity, virtuosic precision, and the historical accuracy of its performance practices. The ensemble has been invited to many of the most important festivals, including the Prague Spring, Flanders Festival, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht (Ancient Music Festival of Utrecht), Bach Tage Berlin (Berlin Bach Days), Ansbacher Bachwoche (Ansbach Bach Week), the York Early Music Festival, and Wratislavia Cantans. Musica Fiata Köln has collaborated on many performances with the vocal group La Capella Ducale. Its varied and richly textured repertoire includes the brilliant Psalmi Davidici, qui penitentiales nuncupantur (Venice, 1583) and the Magnificat à 12 of 1587 by Andrea Gabrieli; Antonio Bertali's Maria Maddalena; the Vespermusik and other works of Heinrich Schütz; spectacular realizations of works by Giovanni Gabrieli with large instrumental groups (e.g. ten trombones, seven organs, etc.); Vespermusik by Giovanni Valentini and Giovanni Priuli; music in the stilo fantastico from the times of Monteverdi; motets by Jean de Castro; Philippe de Monte's Missa sine Nomine and the masses Vestivi i Colli and Ultimi miei Sospiri; the Missa Susanne un jour by Orland de Lassus; Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine; the Polyhymnia Caduceatrix e Panegyrica collection of evangelical church songs; instrumental works by Michael Praetorius; Johann Rosenmüller's Requiem and Missa et Motetti pro defunctis; Johann Hermann Schein's Psalmen Davids and Te Deum; Johann Schelle's Actus Musicus auf Weyh-Nachten (Christmas Music); Monteverdi's Selva Morale of 1641; Canzoni of Giovanni Picchi; and many other works by these composers and their contemporaries. -- "Blue" Gene Tyranny