Like a number of early 17th-century composers active in Venice, Giovanni Battista Grillo had the misfortune to be overshadowed by Giovanni Gabrieli. We don’t know much about Grillo’s career before 1612, the year he was elected organist at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (succeeding Gabrieli). Grillo remained at the Scuola, freelanced at San Marco, and eventually won the post of first organist there. He must have been a respected figure in his time because along with Monteverdi, he was one of the composers specially commissioned to contribute music to the Requiem Mass of Cosimo II de’Medici.

It is unfair to dismiss Grillo’s music as simply influenced by Gabrieli. While a number of his works are certainly in the Gabrieli style, there is enough music that is original as well as appealing to make a case for Grillo on his own terms. The virtuoso concertato passages found in some of his instrumental works are colorful and exciting, and the cornetts of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts play them beautifully. The vocal works are marvelous. While there is no denying the power of the cori spezzati motets (Misericordas Domini is a gem), motets like Dic mihi, o bone Jesu and Quam pulchri sunt gressus tuo (scored for two voices and continuo) showcase the expressive power of Grillo’s music. In addition to the wind players and singers, Gary Cooper makes outstanding contributions on harpsichord and organ throughout the recording. CRAIG ZEICHNER