Recording Listening Session in Class
Gabrieli is famous for having written music for antiphonal brass. These piece are often grandiose in nature, and feature both the loud and soft dynamics of brass instruments. Syncopation is used often throughout to give stronger emphasis to ideas, as well as another main feature of Gabrieli's works: counterpoint. Voices often interact in a call and response fashion, which has a spectacular effect, especially when the two antiphonal groups are placed on either side of a church, creating a stereo effect. Caludio Merula was a composer from the late renaissance period. The piece we listened to is called Canzon a 5, and is a counterpoint heavy composition for 5 voices. Much like the Gabrieli, the voices all interact in a very specific way, weaving in and out of one another for a strong counterpoint effect. This particular recording is by the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, and the period instruments sound totally different from their modern counterparts. Next up, we h...