Andrea Gabrieli |
Venetian School
The rise of Venice as a musical centre was in part political. After the death of Pope Leo X in 1521 and the Sack of Rome in 1527, many musicians either moved elsewhere or chose not to go to Rome, and Venice was one of several places to have a creative environment and the existence of St Mark's Basilica in Venice also attracted many composers. The unique interior of the basilica with opposing choir lofts and spacious architecture required a compositional style which exploited sound delay; so the Venetian polychoral style was developed. This grand antiphonal style, in which groups of singers and instruments played sometimes in opposition, sometimes together united by the sound of the organ was the hallmark of the Venetian School's composers of sacred music.