On September 22, 2021 Intende Voci Ensemble was at the XXIX International Festival of Sacred Music in Pordenone, which dedicates the restart of its season to the “Trinity of the Human for a spiritual search in music and art of the past and present”.
The concert proposed by Intende Voci Ensemble, entitled “Inno al Padre” (Hymn to the Father), covered three centuries of music history, bringing together the polyphony of the 17th century and that of the 20th century.
In the first part, the “Requiem” for double a cappella choir, composed in 1936 by Herbert Howells (Ludney, 1892 – 1983), brings the art of polyphony into the 20th century by exalting harmonies of ancient flavor in a modern compositional writing of great expressive power. In the last prayer to the Father, the author combines the traditional latin text with sacred texts in english and recalls: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”.
In the second part, a back to the 17th century with the “Te Deum” for two clapped choirs and basso continuo by Domenico Scarlatti (Naples, 1685 – Madrid, 1757) which confirms the sacred theme of the “Heavenly Father” into which we are definitively immersed, immediately afterwards, with the song of praise to the Father pronounced by the Virgin Mary: the “Magnificat” for 5 voices and basso continuo, in this case composed by Domenico’s father, Alessandro Scarlatti (Palermo, 1660 – Naples, 1725), one of the greatest representatives of the Italian Baroque, founder of the Neapolitan musical school, master of the Royal Chapel of Naples, profitable composer of profane works and masterpieces of sacred music.
