Giovanni Paolo Colonna (1637-1695)
Caro ardore, sacro amore • Concerted Psalms for two choirs and orchestra
Clarissa Reali, Roberta Pozzer (soprano), Gabriella Martellacci, Michele Borazio (contralto), Alberto Allegrezza, Riccardo Pisani (tenor), Gabriele Lombardi, Guglielmo Buonsanti (bass)
Coro e Orchestra della Cappella Musicale di S. Petronio (Bologna), Ensemble Vocale ‘Color Temporis’/Michele Vannelli
rec. live Oct 2, 2023, Basilica San Petronio, Bologna, Italy
Texts included, no translations
Reviewed as download
Dynamic CDS8044 [75]
In the 17th century, Bologna was one of the main musical centres of Italy, on the same level as Rome and Venice. Some of the greatest composers of the time worked there, often connected to the Basilica of San Petronio. Bologna played a crucial role in the development of genres such as the violin concerto and the concerto grosso, and the playing of and composing for instruments like the cello and the trumpet. It is there that the famous Accademia Filarmonica was founded. One of its founding members was Giovanni Paolo Colonna, who was four times its Principe.
Colonna was born and died in Bologna. He was the son of an organ builder, and was educated as such. He developed into an expert in organ construction. After initial studies in Bologna, he went to Rome, where he became a pupil of Orazio Benevoli and Giacomo Carissimi. After his return to Bologna, he was active as a composer and became second organist of the Basilica of San Petronio. From 1662 until his death he was maestro di cappella there. He held the same position in two other churches for some years. Compared to the output of some other composers of his time, his extant oeuvre is not that large – that is to say, if one has to rely on what is listed in New Grove. The liner-notes to this recording mention that ninety masses have remained unpublished. In our time, especially, his oratorios have attracted some attention; eight of these have survived. He also composed some secular dramatic works, such as cantatas and a couple of operas. His sacred oeuvre includes masses, motets, psalms, responsories and canticles.
The present disc offers some of his music for Vespers that is scored for double choir, which seems to have been a preference of his. In the list of printed collections in New Grove, no fewer than seven comprise pieces for eight voices. To these a mass for nine voices can be added. On the other hand, his oeuvre also includes motets for one or a few voices and basso continuo, sometimes with additional instruments. A substantial number of works has been preserved in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna, which is the result of the admiration of Emperor Leopold I for Colonna’s music: between 1686 and 1692 he purchased eighty scores, which today is the largest source of Colonna’s music.
As mentioned, Bologna was a centre of composing for the trumpet. No wonder, then, that trumpets figure in some of the pieces performed here. The disc opens with a sonata by Giuseppe Torelli, the most prolific composer of music for trumpet(s) of his time. It is notable that in this sonata with four movements, the trumpets only participate in the fast movements. That was to be a feature of nearly all music for or with trumpets (and in later times also horns): they were often silent in slow movements.
This sonata is followed by the versicle Deus in adiutorium meum, which opens each Vesper service. The score includes parts for trumpets. The piece is divided into three sections; the second and third are settings of the doxology. The first of these is a trio for two sopranos and bass.
Next is Dixit Dominus (Psalm 109/110), one of the Psalmi dominicales, which means that it is a fixed part of each Vesper service, independent from the time of the year or the feast of the day. It is for solo voices, an eight-part choir, strings and basso continuo. Pieces for eight voices are usually set for two split ensembles, and that is the case here as well. However, a special feature of this work is that it includes imitative passages for eight voices which are treated independently. That means that such episodes are for eight voices instead of two groups of four. The piece as a whole is technically demanding for both soloists and choir. It is divided into five sections: in the tutti sections some passages are given to solo voices. The two remaining sections are entirely for solo voices, the first soprano and alto, the second SATB.
In Vesper services, it was customary to include a piece on a free poetic text or an instrumental work instead of the repeat of the antiphon that preceded each psalm. This recording does not pretend to offer any kind of reconstruction of a Vesper service; there are no antiphons. However, the inclusion of the motet O ingens divini praesulis munus could be used this way. It is appropriately intended for Saint Petronius, the patron saint of Bologna. He was the city’s bishop in the 5th century. The veneration of Saint Petronius started in the 12th century, after his relics were discovered. In 1390 the building of the Basilica in his honour started. The motet is scored for bass, strings and basso continuo. It was written with two alternative texts. It was entitled O magnum divini amoris opus, with the subtitle “in festo S. Spiritus”, which means that it was intended for Whitsun. A second text was the one sung here, which had a note saying: “The words below are for every saint”. This version was then included in the Motetti sacri Op. 2, published in 1681, and reprinted ten years later. Here Colonna makes explicit references to Saint Petronius, which suggests that it was sung on occasions in honour of the saint. It is notable that the text is divided into six sections marked recitative or aria.
The last two pieces are Vesper psalms again. Beatus vir is again for eight voices (soli and tutti), strings and basso continuo, but there is something special here again. Colonna has treated the instrumental parts in the way of a concerto grosso. The first choir is accompanied by two violins and cello, the second choir by ripieno strings. In fact, this work is scored for four ‘choirs’, two vocal and two instrumental. It was already mentioned that Bologna played a major role in the development of the concerto grosso, and this is an example.
In the last item the trumpets return. That is to be expected, given the text of Laudate Dominum omnes gentes. It opens with a solo for the alto, and then a common device is used: on the words “omnes gentes”, the whole ensemble enters. It is a short psalm, and Colonna has divided into two sections, both for eight voices; this work does not offer an opportunity for extended solo episodes. The way the text is divided is noteworthy: the first section not only includes the text of the psalm itself, but also the first half of the doxology. The second section is a setting of the closing phrases of the latter: “sicut erat in principio”.
The oeuvre of Colonna is not often performed and recorded. I would like to mention a disc by the ensemble Scherzi Musicali, which focuses on motets for solo voices (Ricercar, 2019), and a disc with Lamentations for Holy Week (I Musici di Santa Pelagia; review). The Italian label Tactus released two recordings of oratorios, and Sergio Vartolo, Michele Vannelli’s predecessor as maestro di cappella at San Petronio Basilica, recorded Vesper music for the same label. Vannelli continues to explore the musical heritage of the Basilica: in 2011, Dynamic released a recording of a mass for twelve voices by Giacomo Antonio Perti, who in 1696 succeeded Colonna as maestro di cappella. The present disc is another fruit of this exploration. It impressively shows the quality of Colonna’s music, both in large scorings and in his writing for solo voice. It is not hard to understand why Emperor Leopold I was fond of his music.
Overall, I am happy with this disc and the performances. The Basilica’s Cappella is a fine ensemble, vocally and instrumentally, and the soloists are doing a good job. The monumental character of these works comes off very well.
However, there are a few issues. The first concerns the soloists: especially the sopranos should have reduced their vibrato. It is not very wide and therefore not too disturbing, but it is not required and it damages the ensemble. The second issue is a technical one. The Basilica has a problematic acoustic, due to a long reverberation time, even if it is filled with an audience, as was the case during this live recording. That is not easy to deal with, but it seems to me that one has to accept the consequences. In this recording the reverberation is faded out, but often in a rather unnatural way. As a result there is often a moment of total silence between sections of a piece, which is artificial and rather annoying. It did not really spoil my enjoyment, but it is disappointing nevertheless. The booklet omits English translations of the lyrics. That is not so much a problem in the case of the Vesper psalms, as these texts are easy to find on the internet in all sorts of translations, but in the case of the motet it is a serious omission.
All things said and done, this disc deserves the attention of any music lover. It may help to restore Colonna to his rightful place in music history.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
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Contents
Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709)
Concerto con Trombe (G.18)
Giovanni Paolo Colonna
Domine a 8 con violini e trombe
Dixit a 8 concertato con strumenti e ripieni
O ingens divini praesulis munus
Beatus vir a 8 concertato con concertino e concerto grande
Laudate Dominum a 8 concertato con istrumenti e trombe
