Giovanni Gabrieli (JEE-oh-VAH-nee   GAH-bree-ELL-ee))

Born in or around 1555 (exact date not certain) in Venice, Italy

Died August 12, 1612

Nationality: Italian

Period/Style: Renaissance

About the composer:

Giovanni Gabrieli was raised by his uncle who was an outstanding musician. Growing up around great music, young Giovanni was captivated, and he wanted to know everything he could about music. He learned to play the organ, and he began writing music while still a young boy. He was an organist at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice for many years. While he was there, his duties also included conducting the choirs, and he wrote music for the choirs to be used in the church services.  Besides all the great vocal music, he wrote some great instrumental pieces which he called “canzonas” or “sonatas.”  These were for groups of particular instruments, often cornets (trumpets). They are some of the finest pieces written during the Renaissance period.

About the music:

A canzona is a form that originated in Italy and Gabrieli was a composer who perfected that form in his beautiful compositions. In these, you will hear many lines of melody going at one time, but all carefully arranged so that they sound beautiful together. These little canzonas are for a group of brass instruments (like a brass ‘choir’) and they are very brilliant and majestic. Listen for the clear, bright sounds of the trumpet and the mellower sounds of the lower brass instruments.

Suggested activities:

Find out a unique feature of the city of Venice.

When was the Renaissance Period? What was happening in the world at that time?