composer
Giovanni Martino Cesare was born in Udine, Italy around 1590. Very little is known about his life and works. All sources have the same information, that is repeated again and ...
related works
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK
Dirge : for choir / Petra Strahovnik; lyrics by William Shakespeare
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK4
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK
composition
The First Book of Sacred Songs : for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 voices (or instruments) and continuo / Giovanni Martino Cesare; transcribed and edited by Cees Wagemakers
Other authors:
Wagemakers, Cees
(editor)
Contains:
Veni Sponsa Christi (SS) (2‘30”)
Exaudi me Domine (S or T Solo) (1‘45”)
Beatus Laurentius (ST) (2‘30”)
Hodie Christus natus est (SSTB) (3‘45”)
Alleluia. Hæc dies quam fecit Dominus (SATB) (1‘45”)
Iubilate Deo à 4 (SATB) (3‘30”)
Aspice Domine (SS) (2‘15”)
Absterget Deus (TT) (2‘00”)
Benedictus es, Domine (2‘30”)
Si manseritis in me (SSSSS) (3‘45”)
Quemadmodum desiderat (SATTB) (2‘45”)
Præparate corda vestra (SB)* (2‘30”)
Iubilate Deo à 5 (SATTB) (5‘30”)
O Domine Jesu Christe (SSB) (2‘15”)
Deus misereatur (TT) (4‘30”)
Usquequo Domine (SST) (3‘30”)
Quam dilecta (TT) (2‘15”)
Mulier (SS or TT) (2‘30”)
Benedicam Dominum (TS or ST) (2‘30”)
Peccavi super numerum (B Solo) (2‘15”)
Description:
The underlying bundle of Concerti Ecclesiatici is never mentioned on the internet except on IMSLP where I found it in an edition of 1614, published by Gardano, one of the most important music publishers in Venice, together with Scotto and Vincenti.
Some of the sacred songs have a strong reminiscence to the arie in Jacopo Peri’s opera Euridice (1600).
This is the first book of Concerti Ecclesiatici by Cesare, but no other books by this name are known. The Concerti Ecclesiatici are more suited for solo singers than for choir, although a small well-trained chamber choir could very well perform it. Some of the voices may be replaced or doubled by instruments like cornetts or sackbuts.
This bundle was dedicated to Marco Sittico, Count of Altemps and Gallarata, Archbishop and Prince of Salzburg, according to the dedication in the original book. Marco Sittico Altemps (romanized from Mark Sittich von Hohenems, near Bregenz, Austria). His mother was Clara de’ Medici, sister of pope Pius IV.
Papacy was related to dynasty in these days. So Marco got an important status in the catholic church; he became archbishop of Cassano in 1560 and even cardinal later on. Giovanni Martino Cesare died in Munich in 1667.
Ten out of the twenty concerti are written not by Giovanni Martino Cesare but by Don Alessandro Gualtieri, a composer nothing is known about. Nevertheless Gualtieri’s music is as pleasant as Cesare’s. Is Gualtieri an alias for Cesare?
Cees Wagemakers, 2016