Acqua alta in Venice - Sacred Works Ensemble Respiro

• Giovanni Gabrieli (1557 - 1612): Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt):
• 1 Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt): Deus qui beatum Marcum 02:55
• Canzone 1615:
• 2 Gabrieli: Canzone 1615: Canzon No. 1 a 5 02:52
• Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt):
• 3 Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt): Sancta Maria a 7 03:57
• Heinrich Schütz (1585 - 1672): Symphoniae sacrae I (excerpt), SWV 257-276:
• 4 Schütz: Symphoniae sacrae I (excerpt), SWV 257-276: Benedicam Dominum (für Kornett, 3 Stimmen und Basso continuo) 03:38
• Giovanni Gabrieli (1557 - 1612): Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt):
• 5 Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae II (excerpt): Kyrie a 5 02:34
• Deus in nomine tuo a 8:
• 6 Gabrieli: Deus in nomine tuo a 8 04:27
• Johann Rosenmüller (1619 - 1684): Treiffet, ihr Himmel (for 2 Cornets, Soprano and Basso continuo):
• 7 Rosenmüller: Treiffet, ihr Himmel (for 2 Cornets, Soprano and Basso continuo) 04:03
• Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzone 1615:
• 8 Gabrieli: Canzone 1615: Canzon No. 3 a 6 03:04
• Heinrich Schütz: Geistliche Chormusik (Sacred Choir Music, 1648, excerpt), SWV 369-397:
• 9 Schütz: Geistliche Chormusik (Sacred Choir Music, 1648, excerpt), SWV 369-397: Sehet an den Feigenbaum a 7 04:10
• Giovanni Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt):
• 10 Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt): Miserere mei Deus a 6 04:45
• 11 Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt): Exaudi Deus a 7 04:26
• 12 Gabrieli: Sacrae Symphoniae I (excerpt): Benedicam Dominum a 10 03:32
• Total Runtime 44:23

Info for Acqua alta in Venice - Sacred Works

With this new recording from Arcantus, concert and art project, Ensemble Respiro hope to portray a pause for breath, a pause for thought. Breath is something that accompanies us from our first cry at birth to our last moments. It signifies the beginning and the conclusion of our very existence. Respiro is the Italian for breath, gasp or respite/deadline. Our breathing can demonstrate many things, whether a person is ill or healthy. When facing fear our breath will he held and in a feeling of serenity our breathing is steady and even.

Likewise, music must breathe. Singing (the beginnings of all music), as well as all wind instruments, needs breath to sound and reverberate. Similarly, string and keyboard instruments, when performed with a good breath in mind, will be played more musically.

In 2020 the entire world came to complete standstill; the entire population collectively held its breath. Simultaneously this time enabled the city of Venice to 'breathe out' but also partly hold its breath. Instead of the hordes of tourists the Venice became a peaceful place. Following the initial shock of the Coronavirus crisis, people dared to take the first careful steps, then gradually more. As the incidence rose once again people returned to fearfulness.

What breathing is to mankind, climate is to the Earth. Even before Covid-19 we were facing a climate crisis, although it was somehow distant but of equal relevance.

We live in a time where a lot is demanded from us. The pandemic has shown us that mankind can quickly adapt to a new situation and new rules. Is there then the possibility of thinking of the future anew.

What can the music of the 17th century tell us about this? A climate crisis was for the people at that time unimaginable, something that could perhaps only be explained as a punishment from God for sinfulness.

With the music on this recording, we endeavour to open a window into the time in which the Doge city was very much celebrated. Music, which at the time offered people comfort and hope, that helped them when they were in need, that gave voice to their cries for help. Music that celebrated heaven's glory.

Ensemble Respiro
Andreas Neuhaus, conductor

Ensemble Respiro
presents early music in a new context. The programs are intended to inspire and ask questions. Emerging from Concerto Ludovico, which has been realizing concert projects with historical instruments and singers with music from the early Baroque period since 2009, the core of Respiro consists of cornetts and trombones. Collaboration with singers is an integral part of the work. Lute and organ, and other instruments if required, complete the ensemble.

The working method includes the use of historical instruments, careful study of sources, working with historical tuning tones and systems such as the mean-tone tuning and a willingness to experiment in the implementation.

The ensemble consists of musicians who have specialized in the music of the 17th century and who enthusiastically reinterpret early music.

Andreas Neuhaus
I grew up musically in a chamber choir with a focus on early music (Rainer Winkel), and then went to the University of Dortmund, where I studied school music and discovered my passion for music education. I then studied modern trombone at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen (Prof. Fritz Marreck). Since 1998 I have been teaching trombone and trumpet at the Minden Music School.

I played with cornetts and baroque trombones for the first time in the summer course for early music in Salzburg. My particular fascination with early baroque music led me to study historical trombone with Charles Toet at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, and continued with Wim Becu at the Bremen University of the Arts, which I completed in 2014 with a Master's degree in early music.

As a baroque trombonist, I have been playing in Germany and Europe since 2009 with ensembles such as Weserrenaissance Bremen, Hannoverscher Hofkapelle and Göttinger Barockorchester and have been a guest with Oltremontano, Gli Angeli di Genève and the Capella Cracoviensis (Kraków). I am particularly interested in the inexhaustible chamber music of the early Baroque period, working with singers and choirs - and improvisation.

This album contains no booklet.