Gabrieli, Giovanni

1557-1612 or 1613

Composer and organist, nephew and pupil of the foregoing; was born and died at Venice, and surpassed his uncle. He succeeded Claudio Merulo as first organist of St. Mark's in 1585, and was renowned as a teacher; his most distinguished pupil was Heinrich Schütz. He was the greatest composer of the Venetian School, and stands in the same rank with his contemporaries, Orlando Lasso and Palestrina. The Sacrae symphoniae, written for either voices or instruments, and in from six to sixteen parts, published in 1597; a second col- lection, published in 1615, for six to nineteen voices, and the Canzoni e Senate, for three to thirty-two voices, indicate his command of counterpoint Contrary to the custom of his day, he wrote independent parts for instruments in his madrigals and other choral works, and frequently used modulations more suited to the modern orchestra than to voices. It is said that in this respect he may be called the " father of the chromatic style." Various works are contained in collections by Winterfeld, Schlesinger, Torchi, Bodenschatz, and Rochlitz, the latter's including his Benedictus for three choirs, which is pronounced a masterpiece of its kind. It would seem that the construction of the auditorium in St. Mark's, with two large organs placed opposite each other, facilitated the employment of such effects as were provided for in Gabrieli's choruses for two or three choirs, and also for the further division of the choirs.

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