During my recording presentation in class I had added a canzon by Merulo and I wasn’t familiar with this composer. Turns out Merulo was a composer and organist during the same time that Gabrielli was alive and writing music.
Merulo was a member of what we today call the Venetian School using antiphonal and multiple small groups to play with or against each other.
Merulo wrote 2 books of madgrigals in 5 voices, one book in 4 voices, and a book in 3 voices. Although it is hard to find arrangements for brass it would be very easy to make your own based of the scores available.
I was unable to find any other brass ensembles performing Merulo’s works, but I did find this beautiful recording of solo Cornetto performing a canzona
What are your opinions on the adaptation of madrigals to brass instrumentation? Would you prefer to hear a madrigal in a historic ensemble, modern brass quintet, or a large ensemble e.g. a 72-person hornline?
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