As Brian Robins notes in his excellent essay on the Italian composer, secular works dominated Marenzio’s production, specifically 18 books of madrigals, five books of pieces in three voices, called villanelle or canzonette alle napolitana and his intermedi, the last the only Marenzio works that can be considered clearly to be drama.

But despite such a volume of important work, it can be argued that these days Marenzio continues to be one of the most neglected among great composers. So in order to help resurrect his person and work, we are publishing the article that graces our cover. Along with the Italian composer, a French playwright –Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais– and the oratorios of Bach fill our pages.

Beaumarchais, who wrote such famous plays as The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro, adapted profusely to opera libretto, fueled a constant dispute over the primacy of music and text in opera, which everyone wanted to marry without quite knowing how to do it. Without a doubt this French playwright exerted a notable influence on the development of opera, as Olivier Rouvière explains.

The oratorios of Bach, those composed for Christmas Day (BWV 248), Easter Sunday (BWV 249) and the Feast of the Ascension (BWV 11) are the focus of our third main essay. Uri Golomb says quite rightly of these oratorios that “Bach does not relinquish his penchant for complexity and intricacy, and these works are not without their delicate, even melancholy moments.

Yet ultimately, they are dominated by extrovert brilliance and genial lyricism, enhanced by some of Bach’s most attractive melodies and his varied and colourful orchestral timbres. Overall, the oratorios can be counted among Bach’s most life-affirming and life-enhancing works”. Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt, interviewed by Graham Lock, is our guest performer in this edition taking us into the autumn. We hope you enjoy it.