Concerti di Andrea, et di Gio,Gabrieli organisti

The Concerti di Andrea, et di Gio: Gabrieli [...] continenti musica di chiesa, madrigali, et altro, per voci, et stromenti musicali, à 6. 7. 8. 10. 12. et 16 were published posthumously in Venice in 1587. Vol. III of this four-volume critical edition includes fourteen 6-, 7- and 8-part madrigals. Undoubtedly, these materials were largely conceived for use on special occasions – though, to date, it has been possible to identify nothing but an invitation to a banquet, a composition in praise of an unspecified «Sienese gentlewoman», and a homage to Henry of Valois who, in 1574, passed through Venice en route from Poland to his coronation at Reims as king of France.

The Preface, in English and Italian, historically contextualizes the repertoire, briefly describes the poetic texts (discussed in greater detail in vol. III of the Historical and Critical Introduction to the Complete Works), and provides a panorama of the compositional techniques applied by Gabrieli to this variegated sequence of madrigals, which include several «dialoghi» and other double-choir compositions.