Missae tribus quatuor, quinque, et octo vocibus (1627). Opera omnia sv. / vol. 8

Tomas Cecchini (Verona, about 1582 – Hvar, 1644) is the most important Italian composer to have been at work in the lands of the Croats in the first half of the 17th century. Probably in his native city, or somewhere else in Italy, he acquired a sound musical education. He first arrived in Dalmatia in 1603, at the invitation, it would seem, of the learned Archbishop of Split, Markantun de Dominis. In Split (up to 1614) and then in Hvar (from 1614 until his death) for more than thirty years he performed various musical duties: he was maestro de cappella of the cathedral choirs, singing teacher and organist. Tomas Cecchini the Veronese was just as important for Croatian culture as the German composer Handel was for English, the Italian maestro Jean-Baptiste Lully for French. The music of the Split and Hvar Kapellmeister is long overdue a well-deserved revival. As maestro di cappella of the cathedral choirs in Split and Hvar, Cecchini must have been obliged to compose music for liturgical use. And indeed, this is shown by his collections of masses, psalms and other church music. The collection Missae tribus, quatuor, quinque, et octo vocibus in organo concinendae, op. 22. that the Music Information Centre is issuing within the framework of a project for the publication of all Cecchini’s opuses (opera omnia – vol. 8) provides an insight into the approach to composition for various ensembles, from three-part to eight-part, with the addition of monodic or two-part motets, all with the standard thorough bass accompaniment. Cecchini was certainly in post as maestro di cappella of Hvar Cathedral when the collection was printed at Alessandro Vincenti, Venice, in 1627. This weighty collection, opus 22, has not only five masses but also six two-part and eight-part psalms for vespers, four one-part and four two-part motets, two three-part and one four-part. The diversity of the repertoire of spiritual music contained in the collection is hard to explain merely by the need for making music in Hvar. The collection is like a composer’s portfolio with which he would demonstrate his prowess at composing for very diverse ensembles, monodic to double-choir, but might also work as a catalogue of music created for his workplace, where it was also performed.