It is well known that in Venice a "Golden Age" of compositional, vocal, and instrumental musical creativity and virtuosity emerged, and then flourished during the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s. The 16th century experienced a substantial development in the cappella ducale of Saint Mark's, which, until the end of the 17th century, remained the leading center of musical activity in the city. Evidence of this comes from the profusion of significant musicians that it received in that "Golden Age": either as maestri di cappella, or as organists (Claudio Merulo, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli), or as virtuoso instrumentalists (the cornet player Giovanni Bassano). Claudio Merulo and Andrea Gabrieli played a decisive role in the simultaneous emergence of Venetian keyboard and stile concertato music.

New release Canta la Serenissima includes the most divine music from the Republic of Venice, the Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta, La Serenissima. Saint Mark’s Cathedral was one of the main employers of Venetian musicians and also a place of musical reforms in the 16th and 17th centuries. Composers featured on the disc include Claudio Monteverdi, the most famous maestro di cappella of all times at Saint Mark’s, Alessandro Grandi (1586–1630), who was a master of sacred monody, Dario Castello (c. 1590–c. 1658), who was a leader of a wind ensemble from 1621 at Saint Mark’s and Biagio Marini (1594–1663), who was a violinist from 1615 at Saint Mark’s. CD includes also works composed for the city of Venice’s patron saint Virgin Mary. Vocal works are performed skillfully by soprano Kajsa Dahlbäck.

Most of Monteverdi's motets for one voice were among his late publications, like the celebrated Selva morale e spirituale (Venice, 1640). An aboluste master of what he called the seconda prattica, he demonstrated in these pieces all of the skill he had acquired over the years in writing for the solo voice. Just as he had taken the madrigal to its peak of perfection, Monteverdi here realises the achievements of the Baroque period in this form of religious music inherited from the early centuries of polyphonic writing. The performers have striven to revive the typically Venetian context of the time, placing these sublime works in a framework of instrumental toccatas and sinfonias by his contemporaries Marini, Merulo and Antegnati.

Italian late Renaissance composer Giulio Caccini (1551-1618) was not only one of the most famous composers of his time but also an exceptionally gifted singer. "Dolcissimo sospiro" presents a fine selection of strophic arias and madrigals from Caccini's "Nuove Musiche". Singer of those "sweetest sigh", Roberta Invernizzi, is one of the most sought-after sopranos in the field of Early Music. The Accademia Strumentale Italiana, an ensemble specializing in Early Music, has performed extensively in Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Germany and has been invited to several international festivals. This recording received the Midem Award for the Best Recording of Early Music in 2007.

Absolutely first-class introduction to the brilliant world of early/mid 17th-century Italian harpsichord music, by one of the very best (THE best?) young players in a highly-competitive field. All the big composers are here in about the right proportion - yes, there's considerably more Frescobaldi and, to a lesser extent, Picchi, but also satisfying representative glimpses of vital historical figures like de Macque and Merulo. And ALL the selections are beautiful in themselves and superbly played. Yates is an expert on historical instruments and I think it shows in her discerning choice for this recording - she plays a Ransom & Hammett 1994 build based on Italian c1600 models.

We are pleased to present volume 2 of the world premiere recording of the complete organ works of Merulo. These works represent the complete range of musical development of compositions for keyboard instruments in the 16th century. Since their quality had no equal at that time, Merulo's opus is of immense importance for the history of music. Tapping the full potential of the then usual forms of expression and structure, Merulo a contemporary of Gabrieli and his colleague as 'maestro di cappella' at the Marcus Cathedral in Venice was an important pathfinder in a highly creative era. And he opened up a new one: the Baroque period.

May 2004 was the 400th anniversary of the death of Claudio Merulo (1533-1604), a great organist and composer of the Renaissance. We are pleased to present the world première recording of his complete organ works. These works represent the complete range of musical development of compositions for keyboard instruments in the 16th century. Since their quality had no equal at that time, Merulo's opus is of immense importance for the history of music. Tapping the full potential of the then usual forms of expression and structure, Merulo a contemporary of Gabrieli and his colleague as ''maestro di cappella'' at the Marcus Cathedral in Venice was groundbreaking in a highly creative era.

Jérôme Lejeune continues his History of Music series with this boxed set devoted to the Renaissance. The next volume in the series after Flemish Polyphony (RIC 102), this set explores the music of the 16th century from Josquin Desprez to Roland de Lassus. After all of the various turnings that music took during the Middle Ages, the music of the Renaissance seems to be a first step towards a common European musical style. Josquin Desprez’s example was followed by every composer in every part of Europe and in every musical genre, including the Mass setting, the motet and all of the various new types of solo song. Instrumental music was also to develop considerably from the beginning of the 16th century onwards.

Around 1600, when opera was invented in Italy, venice was resplendent with the works of Giovanni Gabrieli in the Basilica of San Marco. A daring amalgamation of Flemish and Italian styles, this is a corpus of virtuoso pieces in which voices compete with cornetts and trombones for polyphony of rare beauty. In an Italy ravaged by wars, where the Condottieri were the modern Heroes, the souls of these captains rise again thanks to the music of the brilliant Gabrieli, the ultimate representative of a Renaissance that put the fighting Princes into the last cherished armours… Adrien Mabire and his Mercenaries have been recruited to serve under Maestro Gabrieli, to enable his works to resound loud and clear, where we hear the triumphant flapping banners of the Victory at Lepanto, Glory be to the Serenissima!

War and Faith: a coupling that was not only related to Crusaders but to many aspects during the Renaissance and the early Baroque. And both War and Faith had a common denominator in the music. This disc tries to reconstitute the music which escorted warriors before, during and after two of those battles which stained Europe with blood in the 16th century.