From Renaissance to Baroque Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Purcell, and More
Har r y Haskell
In both secular and sacred music, the early Baroque period was a time of extraordinary ferment and innovation, as composers, performers, and listeners gradually turned away from the densely textured polyphonic music of the High Renaissance and embraced the more transparent, soloistic style of monody. In the space of four short decades in the early 17th century, Baroque opera grew from a rarefied aristocratic pastime to a universally popular entertainment. At the same time, instrumental music—hitherto subordinate to the vocal genres—began to take on an independent existence, fostering the growth of innovative compositional styles and often highly virtuosic performance techniques. Much of the energy that sparked this outpouring of creativity emanated from St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. The architectural splendor of the vast and iconic Byzantinestyle basilica is mirrored in a musical heritage of equal magnificence. Both the building’s interior plan, with its intersecting naves and mosaic-covered domes, and its exceptionally reverberant acoustics favored the development of large-scale polychoral music. The basilica’s famed cori spezzati, or divided choirs, were often separated spatially as well as musically, with musicians perched in balconies and organ lofts coordinating with those near the main altar. The sumptuous repertory of choral and instrumental works associated with St. Mark’s helped define the musical style developed by Claudio Monteverdi and the other forwardlooking composers represented on tonight’s program. The “Modern Style” In addition to its choirs of men and boys, St. Mark’s maintained a top-notch instrumental ensemble for especially important occasions. Among its members in the early 1600s was Dario Castello, who identified himself as “head of the 13
