Priuli: Sonata à10 (1619)

Description

Giovanni Priuli is a real discovery: every one of his instrumental pieces is really strong, but the really good news is that they are all different. This is another strikingly original piece from our neglected (not by us) genius; it has a bold, rather chromatic opening idea and gets even better.

This sonata comes from Sacrorum concentuum Ioannis Prioli, Pars Altera, (Venice, 1619).  This second collection contains two ten-part instrumental pieces and two in twelve parts, all of which are included in this series.  The rest of the collection consists of motets, also in ten and twelve parts.  The music in this collection is generally bold and harmonically rich, and it is very surprising that so little attention has been paid to it.

This piece is relatively unusual in the wide range: the top parts in choir I stay high up in the soprano register, while the bass parts in both choirs go as low as BB (alternatives have been supplied in the separate parts). It is possible that this and the Canzon à10 ↣ were intended for a mixture of violins and trombones: it is perhaps relevant that in the twelve-part Canzon in the collection there are high parts that go up to top a.

No basso per organo part has survived for this second Priuli collection, though it is likely that one may have been in the original print, as the first collection contains such a part.