Motetti a voce sola, libro primo, op. IV, Venezia 1655

From the early 17th century onwards, the polyphonic motet that had dominated sacred music in previous centuries found itself complemented in both liturgical and devotional contexts by a new, more stream-lined form: the solo motet. This allowed prayer and meditation to be accompanied by music even in places where maintaining a stable polyphonic choir was impractical or economically unfeasible. At the same time, composers were afforded greater freedom to align with the emerging ‘modern taste’ of the time, which valued the expressive power of a single voice supported by organ or other continuo instruments over the contrapuntal interplay of multiple voices. This modern aesthetic increasingly prioritized the transmission of ‘affetti,’ seen as essential for the true expression of a text.
The compositions presented on this cd by the Ensemble Amphion Novus, a premiere recording on an edition prepared specifically for this occasion, exemplify precisely this direction.