It is uncertain why Gabrieli chose to present this echo canzona in an alternative version, in which the lower wind parts are replaced during the soloistic echo sections by the organ (in this performance, two organs). Did he wish to present an alternative way of performing an already exceptionally scored piece; or to demonstrate a new style of scoring that could be applied to other comparable canzonas? Or is this the original conception, and No 11 an alternative, perhaps for outdoor use?
from notes by Timothy Roberts © 1997
