Deus qui beatum Marcum, a 10 voci

Giovanni Gabrieli's Deus qui beatum Marcum is a grand motet for double choir, scored for SATTB.SATTB, totalling ten voices. Composed in Venice during the late Renaissance, it exemplifies the polychoral style Gabrieli pioneered. The Latin text is a prayer to God, asking that the faithful may always benefit from the teachings and intercession of Saint Mark the Evangelist, 'who you raised to the heights by the grace of evangelical preaching'. The music reflects the textual solemnity, with cori spezzati (split choirs) creating a rich, spatial sound. This motet is a powerful example of sacred Venetian polyphony.