Merulo: Organ masses

Merulo: Missa in dominicis diebus / Toccata / Magnificat
Frédéric Muñoz / Grupo Vocal Gregor - Dante Andreo
Naxos 8.553334

Contents:

  1. Toccata primo del 5º tono

  2. Missa in dominicis diebus (1568)
  3. Kyrie
  4. Gloria
  5. Credo in dominicis diebus
  6. Sanctus
  7. Agnus Dei
  8. Magnificat primi toni

Performers: Frédéric Muñoz (L. F. Tambirini Organ, 1980; Chapelle Sainte Anne de Toulouse); Miguel Bernal, Jose Manuel Lopez, Dante Andreo, Walter Leonard, Javier Rodriguez (voices); Luis Lozano Virumbrales (vocal advisor)

Playing time: 79'

Recording dates: December 1994 & March 1995

Claudio Merulo (1533-1604), a central figure in the early Venetian organ school, was one of the first composers to leave a substantial body of organ music, especially organ masses These alternate vocal lines with lengthy organ verses.

Other recordings in this series:

Merulo: Missa Virginis Mariae / Toccata / Magnificat
Frédéric Muñoz / Schola of the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Cruz
Naxos 8.553335-6 (2 CDs)
Merulo: Missa Apostolorum / Toccata / Magnificat
Frédéric Muñoz / Grupo Vocal Gregor - Dante Andreo
Naxos 8.553420-1 (2 CDs)

Note especially that this series of three masses matches exactly those chosen by Frescobaldi for his Fiori Musicali. With Merulo, there is no overture to secular elements, and consequently no awkwardness.

A similar program:

Merulo: Missa Virginis Mariae "In Annuntiatione Domini"
Roberto Loreggian / Schola Gregoriana
Tactus 533801

Another issue devoted to Merulo's keyboard music, performed on both harpsichord & organ:

Merulo: Toccate, Ricercari, Canzoni
Fabio Bonizzoni
Arcana 30

The start of a complete program:

Merulo: Opera Omnia per organo, volume I
Stefano Molardi
Divox 70309 (2 CDs)

A similar recording devoted to the earlier contemporary Girolamo Cavazzoni (c.1510-c.1565):

Cavazzoni: Intabulatura for Organ, Libro II
Sergio Vartolo / Nova Schola Gregoriana - Alberto Turco
Tactus 510390 (2 CDs)

Finally, a recording presenting some of Merulo's vocal music:

O Virgo Justa
Merulo: Mottetti e Musica Strumentale
Quoniam - Paolo Tognan
Tactus 533802

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb