Sacri concerti a voce sola, 1642

Carlo Filago, excellent musician born in Rovigo in the center of Polesine region, was mainly a talented organist. In 1623 he won the competition for the assignment as first organist at S. Marco in Venice outperforming valid competitors: responsible for S. Marco’s Cappella was at that time no less than Claudio Monteverdi. Contemporary documents confirm his ability and praise his “florid style” and his “inimitable virtuosity”. The collection of the Sacri Concerti a voce sola, published in Venice in 1642, is a typical example of the Venetian motet, a musical form that has given us countless collections containing precious musical gems (such as La Ghirlanda Sacra, [tc.620080] and I SacriMusicali Affetti by Barbara Strozzi [tc.611990]). The author’s intent to adhere to the ancient style of the Monteverdi “prima prattica” is well done by the Ensemble Les Nations, led by Maria Luisa Baldassari and including the leading voice of Arianna Lanci, Elena Bianchi”s dulciana, and the participation by alto Marcella Ventura, by tenor Giovanni Cantarini, and by Pedro Alcacer on the theorbo.