Teaching at a university that only offered science and engineering majors provided many challenges and opportunities. My students, for the most part, were bright and hard-working. Since music was an elective course, those who participated were motivated to learn. But, there was a wide variance in musical training when they came to me. I often had very advanced singers in any ensemble alongside beginning singers . Since my entire career was founded on the premise that music learning should be available to anyone who wanted to learn, I constantly strove to meet students where they were and give them opportunities to learn more. This edition of an early Baroque masterpiece is an example of how I tried to achieve that goal. At the time (2013) I was blessed with some fantastic string players and vocalists.
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) is recognized as one of greatest composers in history. He is responsible for bridging the gap between late Renaissance and Baroque styles setting the standards for the end of one era and the framework of another. Written near the end of his long life for performance at the Basilica San Marco in Venice, this composition displays all the elements that became standard compositional elements of the Baroque – allowing for others such as Vivaldi, Schütz (Monteverdi’s student), and J.S. Bach to compose great music upon his shoulders.
Written near the end of his long life for performance at the Basilica San Marco in Venice and composed for seven parts (SSATTBB) this Gloria in Excelsis setting utilizes two violins, basso continuo, and keyboard. In this arrangement, the more demanding parts of the composition are set for soloists and the simpler sections for full chorus. I used harpsichord rather than organ for the continuo, but believe reed organ would be more authentic.
The recording is a live performance in the very resonant acoustic setting of a large cathedral. Revisions have been made since the recording, so the audio does not always match the score. The entire work totals 12 minutes, this 7 minute video presents enough of the work to give an idea of its possibilities.
FULL SCORE, CHORUS SCORE, AND INSTRUMENTAL PARTS FOR 50 USD