Biscantores

Luca Colombo

Mantua and the Gonzaga family represent one of the summits of European humanistic and Renaissance expression. This project addresses one of the city's greatest periods with sacred works by the leading musicians of the Gonzaga court, at a time when music was the primary tool employed by the Gonzaga dukes to assert their prestige over other Italian cities; this golden age began with the foundation of the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara and its cappella under Giaches de Wert during the rule of Guglielmo Gonzaga in 1565 and lasted until the sack of Mantua in 1630. The Ensemble Biscantores specialise in the performance of late Renaissance and Baroque music; here, thanks to the research, study and transcriptions made by its director Luca Colombo, they explore the Mantuan court of the Gonzagas and the liturgy specific to the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara.

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) , Benedetto Pallavicino (1551-1601) , Salomone Rossi (1570-1630) , Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) , Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi (1556-1622) , Amante Franzoni (Fl. 1605-1630)

• Claudio Monteverdi: Confitebor III alla francese; Laetaniae della Beata Vergine; Cantate Domino
  +Benedetto Pallavicino: Dum complerentur; Misericordias Domini
  +Salomone Rossi: Keter yitnu; Yesusum midbar
  +Giaches de Wert: Adesto dolori meo; Omnis homo primum; Speremus meliora omnes
  +Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi: Magnificat im 8. Ton; Regina coeli
  +Amante Franzoni: Dixit Dominus im 6. Ton