Selected Recordings

Sonata ‘La Mosta’

L’Arpeggiata

Dies Irae

Selected Sheet Music

18 trio sonatas, op. 2

Source: IMSLP.org

Showcase Piece

Sonata Op.2 No.15, ‘La Torriana’

Notes ad Commentary

Giovanni Legrenzi was an Italian composer of opera, vocal, and instrumental music, and organist, of the Baroque era. He was one of the most prominent composers in Venice in the late 17th century, and extremely influential in the development of late Baroque idioms across northern Italy.

He was active in most of the genres current in northern Italy in the late 17th century, including sacred vocal music, opera, oratorio, and varieties of instrumental music. Though best known as a composer of instrumental sonatas, he was predominantly a composer of liturgical music with a distinctly dramatic character. The bulk of his instrumental music may also be included in this category, since it would have been used primarily as a substitute for liturgical items at Mass or Vespers. His operas were immensely popular (and extravagantly presented) in their day, though like his oratorios, few have survived. His later dance music was certainly connected with the operatic repertoire. He lived from August 12, 1626, to May 27, 1690.”—Excerpted from Wikipedia

Books and Music

Selected Books

Sonate für vier Violinen mit Basso continuo
Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1951 (sheet music)
$49.99 on Amazon

Selected Music

Sonatas and Motets (1997), 1 CD

Dies Irae (2005), 1 CD

II Sedecia (2012), 1 CD

More Giovanni Legrenzi music

Complete Works

Published works
Concerti Musicali per uso di Chiesa
Sonata a due, e tre
Harmonia d’affetti Devoti a due, tre, e quatro, voci
Sonate dà Chiesa, e dà Camera, Correnti, Balletti, Alemane, Sarabande a tre, doi violini, e violone. Libro Secondo
Salmi a cinque, tre voci, e due violini
Sentimenti Devoti Espressi con le musica di due, e tre voci. Libro Secondo
Compiete con le Lettanie & Antifone Della B.V. a 5. voci
Sonate a due, tre, cinque, a sei stromenti. Libro 3
Sacri e Festivi Concerti. Messa e Salmi a due chori con stromenti a beneplacito
Acclamationi Divote a voce sola. Libro Primo
La Cetra. Libro Quarto di Sonate a due tre e quattro stromenti
Cantate, e Canzonette a voce sola
Idee Armoniche Estese per due e tre voci
Echi di Riverenza di Cantate, e Canzoni. Libro Secondo
Sacri Musicali Concerti a due, e tre voci. Libro Terzo
Balletti e Correnti a cinque stromenti, con il basso continuo per il cembalo. Libro Quinto Postumo
Motetti Sacri a voce sola con tre strumenti

Unpublished works
The Messa a cinque voci con stromenti
The unaccompanied Missa quinque vocibus
The Messa a 16 for four choirs and organ continuo
The Prosa pro mortuis, including “Dies irae”
Intret in conspectu, a motet for 6 voices
Credidi propter quod locutus sum, a psalm setting for solo alto
Laudate pueri, a psalm setting for five voices
Spirate aure serenae, a motet for solo soprano

Legrenzi also composed numerous operas and oratorios. Among them:

Operas

Nino, il giusto
Achille in Sciro
Zenobia e Radamisto
Tiridate

Oratorios

Oratorio del giuditio
Oratorio della passione
Sedecia
Il creation del mondo––A complete list is on Wikipedia

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