Sacco’s only extant publication, a collection of sacred music, was issued in 1607 while he was maestro di cappella of San Giacomo cathedral in Viterbo.

Besides the Mass, this CD includes Sacco’s Litaniae Lauretanae, his Dialogue of the Blessed Virgin and two of his motets, Gaudeamus omnes and Veni sponsa Christi, all for 8-voice double choir with basso continuo. (Sacco also included 10 similarly scored motets by other Palestrina students in his collection.) Sacco’s sober and graceful music, while skilfully contrapuntal within its polychoral framework, ensures the texts always remain perfectly intelligible.

Textual clarity is also clearly paramount for the 8 singers of Templum Musicae and their director, Vincenzo Di Donato. Their purity, gravity and mellifluousness, enriched by the continuo of harp, theorbo, bass viol, violone and chamber organ, suit Sacco’s majestic polyphony very well.

The ensemble has added chants for the Gradual, Offertory and Communion of the Mass. The organist, Francesco Di Lernia, provides further variety by playing the Toccata dell’Ottavo Tono and Canzona II by Paolo Quagliati (1555-1628) on the marvellous modern reconstruction of the lost Bernardino Vincento organ (1515) in Spilimbergo Cathedral.

Enthusiastically recommended.
CHRISTOPHER PRICE

Missa 1607
SALVATORE SACCO
Vincenzo Di Donato
Templum Musicae
Francesco Di Lernia
Carus 83.191
2003 - 58:05 min.