The Cornett and Trombone Ensemble

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It is this ensemble that first captured my love and attention. Many of the instrumental compositions of Giovanni Gabrieli whose instrumentation we know, were written for this ensemble. The cornett replaced the shawm of the previous pifarri ensemble because only was the cornett more flexible, but it has a much more pleasant tone. In fact, I think it is a real pity that the dynamic, beautiful voice of the cornett (according to what I have read) has been lost. While the harsher voices of shawms were not very appropriate in a liturgical setting (although just dandy for dancing), this pifarri ensemble was definitely meant to play in the church, often in antiphonal settings. The music that Gabrieli wrote for these ensembles was written for the church of San Marco, and typically played by multiple choirs, which sounded REALLY cool.