© Angelo Palmieri
Vespers at San Vitale
Missa dolorosa
by Antonio Caldara
Coro Ecce Novum
Gamma Chorus
Arianna Lanci soprano
Daniela Pini mezzo-soprano
Michele Concato tenor
Alberto Bianchi Lanzoni bass
Faventia Ensemble
Roberto Noferini first violin
Paolo Rosetti bassoon
Chiara Cattani organ
conductor Silvia Biasini
Programme
Antonio Caldara (1670-1736)
Missa dolorosa for soloists, choir, strings, and bassoon
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus – Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Despite being almost unknown, Caldara’s works reveal his talent for counterpoint and his melodic and expressive power. He composed Missa dolorosa in 1735 in honour of the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI. It is a missa solemnis and is, therefore, only performed on special religious occasions. Caldara added the epithet “dolorosa” [painful], referring to the celebration of the Septem Dolorum Beatae Mariae Virginis (Seven Sorrows of the Virgin May), whose Gradual begins with the words “Dolorosa et lacrimabilis es, Virgo Maria”, or to the elegiac nature of the mass, which was already defined by the E minor key. The sections of the Missa dolorosa are divided into units that mutually differ in tonality and metrics, structure and score. This mass combines various styles, perfectly alternating fugues, homorhythmic fragments and grand rhythmic episodes. This heterogeneous feature creates the continuous vigorous ascent of this highly expressive masterpiece.
