Ascanio Trombetti was a cornetto player in the Concerto Palatino of Bologna.
His book of motets of 1585 contains pieces that work beautifully on wind instruments.
Some are labelled da concerto, meaning they are for a mixture of singers and instruments.
Trombetti was born in Bologna in 1544, and died there rather suddenly in 1590. (He was murdered by the wife of a bookseller who objected to being cuckolded).
His family name was Cavallari, but he presumably acquired the name Trombetti because of his prowess on wind instruments: at the age of nineteen he was already playing in the concerto palatino (the official town wind band in Bologna). He also worked in the capella at the church of St. Giovanni in Monte.
His Il Primo Libro de Motetti accomodati per cantare e far concerti a 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 12 was published in Venice in 1589. Several of the larger pieces are headed “da concerto” presumably indicating a mixture of solo voices and instruments; the fact that some pieces include parts that are too low to sing (e.g. his 10-part Jubilate Deo ↣ and his 8-part Jubilate Deo ↣ ) would tend to support this interpretation. Although there is nothing particularly revolutionary about these pieces, the scoring of the parts, and economy of style makes them very suitable for wind instruments. Trombetti’s word-setting tends to be impeccable; it provides us with a great deal of information on how to phrase his music.
(Bernard Thomas)
Translation:
Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts,
and let him return to the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him,
because he is kind and merciful and prevails over evil,
the Lord our God.
The Lord does not wish the death of a sinner,
but that he is converted and lives,
for He is kind and merciful and prevails over evil,
the Lord our God.
