Special Collection The Joy of Ancient History

One of the most significant musical figures in mid-17th-century Rome, Giacomo Carissimi was a prolific composer of motets and cantatas, who also greatly influenced the developments of the Latin oratorio. This set brings together his 28 motets that were published under the title Arion Romanus by Giovanni Battista Mocchi, a student and loyal admirer of Carissimi. Arion was an ancient Greek bard and musician, who, in Greek and Roman mythology, was thrown overboard by pirates and rescued by a dolphin. In the liner notes that accompany this collection, the authors draw fascinating parallels between Arion and Carissimi himself: both were accomplished, charismatic and influential artists and musicians, and just as Arion was plunged into the depths of the sea, Carissimi explored the depths of the sacred music tradition to create a perfect synthesis of spiritual contemplation and intense emotional expression. The motets from the Arion Romanus collection also showcase his mastery of a wide range of formal structures, from the concertato to the madrigal.