Dr. Bob Prescribes: Giovanni Gabrieli

Giovanni Gabrieli (ca. 1555-1612)

By the last years of the sixteenth century, the multi-choral/multi-ensemble (or just “polychoral”) religious music being composed for performance at the Basilica of San Marco (St. Mark’s) in Venice had virtually nothing to do with the sober spirit and musical dictates of the Counter Reformation.  Rather, it had everything to do with the exuberant, independent spirit of Venice.  The great exponents of this magnificent, polychoral Venetian music were the Gabrieli boys – Andrea Gabrieli (ca. 1510-1586) and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli (ca. 1555-1612).

Giovanni Gabrieli was born in Venice around 1555.  His uncle, Andrea Gabrieli, was an excellent and influential composer as well as the principal organist at San Marco, a musical position second only to maestro di cappella (who was, at the time, the theorist and sometime composer Gioseffo Zarlino, 1517-1590).

Young Giovanni was Andrea Gabrieli’s star pupil, and Andrea was proud of his nephew.  Giovanni Gabrieli recalled:

“If Signor Andrea Gabrieli (of blessed memory) had not been my uncle, I should dare to say (without fear of being accused of bias) that, as there are few illustrious painters and sculptors gathered together in the world, so are there few indeed composers and organists as excellent as he.  But since by my blood-relation I am scarcely less than his son, it is not fitting for me to say freely that which affection, guided by truth, would seem appropriate to me.”

At around the age of 20 (circa 1575), Gabrieli ventured the 300 miles north to the Bavarian capital of Munich.  It was there that he studied with the celebrated Belgian-born, Franco-Flemish composer Orlando de Lassus (circa 1532-1594) at the court of the Duke of Bavaria, Albert V.  Along with his uncle Andrea Gabrieli, de Lassus was Giovanni Gabrieli’s principal compositional influence, and when Giovanni returned to Venice around 1579, he was prepared for the big time.…

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