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Francesco CAVALLI (1602 - 1676): "Missa a 8 voci concertata con Istromenti da Musiche Sacre (Venezia 1656)"
Ensemble Vocale Locatelli;
Coro C. Monteverdi di Crema;
Ensemble Locatelli;
Ensemble UtFaSol;
MoreAntiquo
Dir: Bruno Gini
rec: Oct 30 - Nov 1, 2024, Crema, Chiesa di San Bernardino
Dynamic - CDS8074 (© 2025) (59'07")
Liner-notes: E; no lyrics
Cover, track-list & booklet
Scores
Spotify
[in order of appearance]
plainchant:
[introitus] Gaudeamus omnes;
Cavalli:
Kyrie;
Gloria;
plainchant:
[graduale] Timete Dominum;
[alleluja] Venite ad me;
Cavalli:
Credo;
plainchant:
[offertorium] Iustorum animae;
Cavalli:
Sanctus;
plainchant:
[communio] Beati mundo corde;
Cavalli:
Agnus Dei
Sources:
plaichant, Graduale Romanum, 1646;
Francesco Cavalli, Musiche Sacre - Messa, e Salmi concertati con istromenti, imni, antifone & sonate, a due 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 e 12 voci, 1656
[EVL] (soli) [I] Maddalena De Biasi, soprano; Pedro Pablo Alvarez, alto; Zhang Zhiqia, tenor; Giacomo Pieracci, bass;
[II] Valentina Ferrarese, soprano; Ilariandrea Tomasoni, contralto; Angelo Testori, tenor; Lorenzo Tosi, bass
[EL] Ulrike Slowik, Regina Yugovich, Raffaele Nicoletti*, Valentina Mattiussi*, violin; Serena Seghettini, viola da gamba; Andrea Alziati, cello*; Rosita Ippolito, violone (* ripieno)
[UtFaSol] Pietro Modesti, cornett; Elina Veronese, Loris Guastella, Valerio Mazzucconi, sackbut; Paolo Tognon, Stefano Somalvico, dulcian; Nicola Dolci, Marco Favotto, organ
[MoreAntiquo] Claudio Accorsi, Luca della Casa, Davide Galleano, Pietro Magnani, Marco Marasco, Luca Ronzitti
This year - 2026 - is Cavalli year, as the composer died in 1672. Some composers take advantage of a commemoration, as their works are more often performed than usual, and some of which may be performed for the very first time. One could argue that operas by Cavalli are regularly performed, and a number of them are available on disc, most of them even in more than one recording. However, the sacred part of his oeuvre has fared less well. Most of his output in this department is unknown, and the number of recordings is modest. The recording that is the subject of this review focuses on one of his major sacred works, the Messa concertata. The liner-notes claim that this recording is the first of the 21st century. That is not correct: in 2018 Château de Versailles Spectacles released a recording in which this mass is embedded in a liturgical framework, inspired by the festivities which took place in 1660 in Venice at the occasion of the marriage of Louis XIV and the Spanish infanta, Maria Theresa. The mass was not written for that occasion; it is part of the collection Musiche sacre, which was published in 1656. The present recording offers also a performance as part of a liturgical event, in this case All Saints' Day, celebrated on 1 November.
It is not known when and for which occasion Cavalli composed his only known mass. The scoring for eight voices - soli and tutti - in two choirs, with two violins, violoncino and basso continuo, with additional instruments ad libitum, suggests an important event. Such an event may have been the celebrations of the peace between the Pope and the Duke of Parma in 1644; the latter had been supported by Venice.
Cavalli is generally considered the greatest composer in Venice after the death of Monteverdi, especially in the field of opera. However, although his sacred oeuvre is not as large as Monteverdi's, he certainly can be considered the latter's heir. His large-scale works show that the style of Monteverdi was very much alive. Like in, for instance, Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine, polyphony and the declamatory monody coexist. The solo sections are mostly for two or three voices. As in so many mass settings, the Christe eleison is for two voices, soprano and alto, singing in alternation with the tutti. In the Credo 'Et unam sanctam' is for two altos. Here we also have a solo for alto (Qui propter). In the Gloria the Domine Deus is for alto, tenor and bass. Qui tollis and Qui sedes use the same material, but are set for different groups of voices.
As one may expect, Cavalli uses harmony for expressive reasons. The most notable passages are in the heart of the Credo. The incarnation receives special interest, and then the crucifixion is expressed through descending figures with some harsh dissonances. The ensuing passage on the resurrection is relatively restrained, as it is set for solo voices rather than the entire ensemble. Cavalli also makes use of polychorality to create special effects of a dramatic character, which betrays his credentials in the field of opera.
The instrumental ensemble that Cavalli requires is rather modest: two violins, violoncino and basso continuo. The violoncino is not what we now know as the 'baroque cello'. That instrument made its appearance only in the last quarter of the 17th century. We have to think rather of the violone or the bass violin. The terminology used for low string basses in the first half of the century is rather confusing. In the present recording a bass viol has been used, but Cavalli mentions that it can be replaced by another instrument, such as the chitarrone. Cavalli also suggested the addition of other instruments, playing colla voce. He does not specify them, but sackbuts are probably the preferred ones, as in his introduction he writes that in between the parts for alto, tenor and bass in the second choir he added sinfonias for three sackbuts (or similar instruments). Whether these are played is up to the preference of the performers. Here some of these can be heard in the Kyrie.
As mentioned, the mass is put here in a liturgical framework. The plainchant for All Saints' Day is taken from the Graduale Romanum of 1646. Unfortunately the lyrics of these chants are not included. They are available here.
The vocal tutti are larger than in the CVS performance I mentioned above. Given the likely festive occasion that seems justified. One wonders whether a larger string group may have been a possibility as well. Two violin parts don't exclude the possibility of a larger line-up. As far as the winds are concerned, the three sackbuts are joined by cornett and dulcian.
The singing is excellent, both in the solo sections and the tutti. In the latter the text is not always clearly intelligible, but that is inevitable with such a large line-up and a performance in a church (which is fortunately not as reverberant as, for instance, the San Petronio in Bologna). The treatment of tempo and dynamics is satisfying. The instrumentalists do a fine job as well. The singing of the plainchant is outstanding. Question is how it was sung at the time. I wonder whether singers may have treated it just like polyphony, in a more declamatory manner and with dynamic differentiation. But that is something we may never know for sure.
This is a well-deserved monument for a composer whose qualities in the field of opera are widely recognized, but whose sacred music deserves to receive more interest. This disc is an impressive testimony of Cavalli's skills in the genre of sacred music.
Johan van Veen (© 2026)
Relevant links:
Coro C. Monteverdi di Crema
Ensemble Locatelli
Ensemble UtFaSol