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Artemisia Editions » Catalogue » Convents of Bologna » Arresti: Two motets for 3 voices (BO-04)

Giulio Cesare Arresti (1625-1704 or later) lived his entire life in his native city of Bologna. There he served as organist at San Petronio for almost 40 years between 1649 and 1699, and as maestro di cappella at various Bolognese institutions. In 1663, Arresti published his Messe a tre voci, con Sinfonìe, e Ripieno à placito, accompagnate da motetti, e concerti, op. 2. He dedicated the collection to Giulia Maria Vittoria Malvezzi, a nun at the monastery of Santa Maria Nuova in Bologna, praising her for her musical and instrumental skills (without, unfortunately, specifying her instrument).

The collection is divided into three sections, each headed by a Mass for 3 voices (CCB) and two violins with basso continuo. Each Mass consists only of the Kyrie, Gloria and Credo, and is followed by 2 motets which may be inserted into the Mass as needed. The choice of voices is curious in light of the dedication to a nun, as all but one (Ad cantus) call for a bass voice. The nuns would certainly not have been daunted by the problem of singing bass parts, presumably transposing them into their ranges as we have done here in the case of the edition for women’s voices.