Magnificat in B-flat [Spurious attribution to Pergolesi]

This wonderful, short choral masterpiece has a confusing heritage. Spuriously attributed in 1910 to Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736), the seven-movement MAGNIFICAT was actually composed by Francesco Durante (1684-1755), proven by the signed manuscript housed in Naples. Highly esteemed by his contemporaries and described as "one of the greatest Italian church composers and composition teachers of all time," Pergolesi was one of Durante's pupils, where some of the confusion may have originated. Undoubtedly one of Durante's most important compositions, this work is on the most significant settins of this text (derived from Luke 1:46-55) in cantata form, masterfully combining the traditional polyphonic notation with modern, early Classical elements. Movements: I. Magnificat, anima mea Dominum, II. Et exsultavit spiritus meus, III. Fecit potentiam, IV. Deposuit potentes, V. Suscepit Israel, VI. Sicut locutus, and VII. Gloria Patri. Instrumentation: Org: Str (4-4-3-3-3): Solo SATB: Mx Chor.