Maurizio Cazzati (1616-1678)
Motets & Sonatas
Mauro Borgioni (baritone)
Seicento Stravagante
rec. 2021, Centro Studi Europeo di Musica Medioevale “Adolfo Broegg”, Spello, Italy
Texts and translations included
Reviewed as a 16/44 download
Pan Classics PC10446 [78]
Maurizio Cazzati is one of the lesser-known names from the Italian 17th century. A number of discs include pieces by him, but very few are entirely devoted to his oeuvre. One of the reasons could be that in later times he was pretty severely criticised. Anne Schnoebelen, in New Grove, writes: “The judgment of early historians (e.g. Fétis and Torchi) has been hard on Cazzati as a composer, and indeed at best he can only be considered a composer of ordinary inspiration.” In his own time he was involved in a debate caused by one of his masses that – according to his critics – included serious errors. However, that did not stop his music finding wide appeal: he was the most prolific printed composer of the whole century, with 66 first editions, and more than 100 publications if reprints are counted.
Cazzati was born in Luzzara (today Lucera), near Reggio nell’Emilia, part of the duchy of Guastalla and was appointed as organist at S Pietro there at the age of 17. He was ordained and then acted as maestro di cappella in several cities: Mantua, Ferrara and Bergamo. In 1657, he moved to Bologna where he became maestro di cappella of the Basilica S Petronio. Only two years later, the debate already referred to above began. It was initiated by Lorenzo Perti, a beneficed priest at S Petronio, later maestro di cappella of Bologna Cathedral. Anne Schnoebelen assumes that this controversy divided the whole community: Cazzati did not become a member of the Accademia Filarmonica which was founded in 1666. Although he initially enjoyed the support of the vestry board of S Petronio, he was dismissed in 1671 and returned to Mantua. There he acted as maestro di cappella at the Cathedral and maestro di cappella di camera to Duchess Anna Isabella Gonzaga until his death in 1678.
One of the notable aspects of Cazzati’s activities is that he took the printing of his music into his own hands; during his time in Bologna he had a printing press in his official residence. He continued his activities in this field in Mantua. A number of collections of his music don’t bear the name of a publisher which suggests that he himself had printed them. His output is large: 48 collections with an opus number include sacred vocal music and ten comprise secular works. In addition he composed several operas and oratorios which have all been lost. His main contribution to music history is his instrumental music: between 1642 and 1670 ten collections of sonatas and dance music came from the press. In his oeuvre we find a development from ensemble sonatas in the Venetian tradition to pieces which are divided into separated movements. In this respect, he is a link between the early 17th century and Corelli’s trio sonatas. Cazzati also was the first Bolognese composer who published sonatas for violin and basso continuo. Even more important are his sonatas for trumpet and strings. Trumpet playing had a long tradition in Bologna but Cazzati considerably contributed to the city’s becoming a centre of composing for trumpet and strings; later representatives of this tradition were Perti and Torelli.
The present disc offers specimens of Cazzati’s sacred and instrumental works, which are performed in alternation. Like the instrumental works, the vocal pieces are also somewhere in the middle between the monodies of the early 17th century, as we find them in the oeuvre of the likes of Caccini, Monteverdi and Grandi, and the motets and cantatas with recitatives and arias of the late 17th and 18th centuries, reflecting the influence of opera.
The earliest vocal work is Mortali, che fate, which is taken from the Op. 20 of 1659. This is a collection of ‘moral and spiritual cantatas’, which means that they are not intended for liturgical use. The text is a meditation on human fragility. (In my description of a piece’s content I have to rely largely on the liner-notes, as the booklet omits translations of the lyrics.) Regina coeli, on the other hand, is one of the four Marian hymns; it is sung between Easter and Whitsun. In 1667 Cazzati published a collection of settings of all four hymns as his Op. 42. Each hymn is included in three different scorings: one for soprano or tenor, one for alto and one for bass. Cazzati’s setting of Regina coeli reflects the joy of the text: “Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia. The Son you merited to bear, alleluia, has risen as he said, alleluia. Pray to God for us, alleluia.” In the Alleluia Cazzati applies the coloratura which is a feature of his style, and which we find in all the pieces included here.
In 1678 Cazzati published his last collection of sacred music: L’ottavo libro dei mottetti a voce sola, op. 65. Three of these motets are included here. Dulcis amor is about the Eucharist (dal Santissimo Sacramento). In this piece one instrument plays ritornellos between some of the stanzas; here cornett and violin alternate or play colla parte. From the same collection is Stille sparse per me, which is about the passion of Christ. The text is a typical example of the very personal emotions put into the mouth of a believer in Italian sacred music of the 17th century. The third piece from the Op. 65 is Factum est praelium magnum, which is about the fall of Lucifer. It is a dialogue, but sung by only one voice. Cazzati creates a contrast between Lucifer and the archangel Michael with musical means. The piece ends suddenly when Lucifer says “fugiamus” (let us flee) and the music stops immediately.
The remaining two vocal works are taken from the Op. 51. This collection was not published by Cazzati himself, but in Antwerp. According to New Grove the year of publication was 1676, but the booklet to the recording has 1682, and that is also the year mentioned on the title page. Why it received this opus number is a bit of a mystery, as it dates from four years after Cazzati’s death. The title is Mottetti a voce sola con due violini, and this explains the participation of cornett – replacing one of the violins – and violin. Annuntio vobis has the addition per un Santo. It is intended to celebrate the life of a saint, and Cazzati uses different means of setting the text which consists of eight sections. This piece opens the programme, and the other work from the same opus closes it. Eja crudelis is written for a martyr (or, alternatively, for the Eucharist). The text refers to various aspects – the horrible and glorious moments – of a martyr’s life.
The sonatas which separate the vocal items, are taken from two collections. In 1648 Cazzati published a collection of sonatas for one to four instruments and basso continuo. Both La Calva and La Pezzola have the indication Violino solo overo Violino e Basso. This has not prevented performers from playing one of them on the cornett. There is probably no fundamental objection to this decision; composers were rather pragmatic, and the indication of the instrument may often have been more like a suggestion (or preference) than a prescription. The same goes for the four sonatas for two instruments and basso continuo, which are taken from the Op. 18 of 1659, a set of twelve trio sonatas for two violins and basso continuo, all of which have titles. They consist of a number of movements of contrasting character and tempo, which follow each other closely, but are clearly discernible. This confirms what has been said above about their historical place between the sonatas in the stylus phantasticus of the early 17th century and the trio sonatas of, for instance, Arcangelo Corelli. Whether the use of a cornett is justified also depends on where such pieces were played. Trio sonatas are mostly associated with domestic performance, but they could also be played during the liturgy. In Cazzati’s time the cornett was still in use in the church, but may have played no role in domestic music. The acoustic of the recording suggests a liturgical performance.
I personally find the acoustic a bit too reverberant. That is about the only critical issue here, though, because I enjoy and admire the performances by Mauro Borgioni and the ensemble Seicento Stravagante, consisting of David Brutti (cornett) and Nicola Lamon (harpsichord, organ and regal), with guest Paolo Perrone (violin). The ensemble’s playing is excellent: colourful, energetic and dynamically differentiated. Borgioni has become one of the major forces in the Italian early music scene, and also appears in performances elsewhere and in recordings of various ensembles and various repertoire. He is in excellent form here: he does full justice to the character of the sacred works, and his treatment of the coloratura is impressive.
In recent years several discs have been devoted to the oeuvre of Cazzati. This disc is one of the best, and a very good case for a composer who fortunately is on his way to be restored to his rightful place in music history.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
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Contents
Annuntio vobis [op. 51, 1682]
Sonata III ‘La Bulgarina’ [op. 18, 1649]
Dulcis amor [op. 65, 1678]
Sonata IV ‘La Calcagnina’ [op. 18, 1649]
Stillae sparse per me [op. 65, 1678]
La Calva [op. 8, 1648]
Regina coeli [op. 42, 1667]
Sonata XII ‘La Strozza’ [op. 18, 1649]
Factum est proelium magnum [op. 65, 1678]
La Pezzola [op. 8, 1648]
Mortali, che fate? [op. 20, 1659]
Sonata VI ‘La Giralda’ [op. 18, 1649]
Eja crudeles [op. 51, 1682]
