Motets by Emperor Ferdinand III et al.

Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III was not only a lavish patron of music but also a talented composer. This edition gathers together for the first time all thirteen of the emperor’s surviving motets, together with motets by other composers from the imperial chapel, including Giovanni Valentini, Antonio Bertali, Giovanni Felice Sances, and the lesser-known Wolfgang Ebner and Georg Pichelmair. Ferdinand’s motets display his solid compositional technique, grounded in Italianate styles and colored by adventurous harmonies. Placing the emperor’s works alongside those of other imperial composers allows for comparisons between Ferdinand’s music and that of his teachers and mentors. The works are for one to twelve voices (some with ripieno choir), and many include parts for two to eight obbligato instruments. In addition to typical mid-seventeenth-century combinations, some works feature unusual performing forces, including four motets for solo bass (with and without obbligato instruments) and one for seven sopranos and two violins.