Costanzo Antegnati (1549-1624) was scion of the Antegnati family, recognized as the leading organ builders in the northern Italian province of Brescia. Four generations of skilled craftsmen from the same family produced some of the best-known instruments of the 16th century, not only for Brescia but also for cities such as Bergamo, Cremona, Como, Lodi, Mantua, Milano, Parma and Venice. In total they built ca 400 instruments.

Costanzo was the most influential member of the Antegnati family. He published a treatise “L’Arte organica” which contains explanations how to tune organs, as well as rules of organ registrations. As organist of the Brescia Cathedral he composed 12 Ricercars, which are here recorded on the 1630 Meiarini organ of the Church of St. Maria del Carmine in Brescia. Apart from these works the recording contains also Canzons by the composers Anton Holzner, Ercole Pasquini, Vincenzo Pellegrini and Agostino Soderini.

Federico Del Sordo is one of Italy’s foremost scholars and continuo players, he teaches at the prestigious Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and has many publications to his name on Sociology and Musicology. For Brilliant Classics he successfully recorded works by Tessarini, Veracini, Bach, Merulo, Salvatore and Fasolo. He wrote the liner notes himself. Also included in the booklet are the specifications of the organ.