Cappella Augustana (Instrumental & Vocal Ensemble)

Founded: 2000 - Italy

Cappella Augustana was founded in 2000 by the harpsichordist and organist from Bologna Matteo Messori and brings together performers who boast of many collaborations with the best European early music ensembles.

Cappella Augustana is particularly interested in the study of the relationships between Italy - cradle of Fine Arts - and the transalpine countries (often of a Protestant creed) during the late Renaissance and the Baroque. The distinguishing characteristic of this ensemble is the re-evaluation of some aspects of early music performance practice, today often neglected by a relevant number of specialised ensembles in particular as far as the performance practice, i.e. the re-proposition of the original vocal/instrumental dispositions and techniques, after the latest studies conducted on the subject.

The ensemble proceeds with the first complete recording of Heinrich Schütz works for the Dutch music label Brilliant Classics. The first 14 CD’s containing the Symphoniae sacrae I & II, the popular Historia der Geburt Christi, the Italian Madrigals, the wonderful Cantiones sacrae, the first collection of the Kleine geistliche Concerte, the Passions after St. Matthew, St. Luke and St. John, the Resurrection History and Seven Words, have already been published and have proved very successful among the public and the specialized international critics. The next box with 5 CD’s will contain Musikalische Exequien, the second part of the Kleine geistliche Concerte and the Geistliche Chormusik.

Thanks to a CD recorded by the Swedish label Mvsica Rediviva , is now possible to hear for the first time the sacred music of a great composer of the 17^th century, who was active in almost all Europe and revealed himself to be an emblematic figure of the developments of the Lutheran musical repertoire, the Kapellmeister Vincenzo Albrici (1631-1690/96).

Source: Cappella Augustana Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2011)

Matteo Messori: Short Biography | Cappella Augustana | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Cappella Augustana (Official Website)