spezzati

Spezzati, from the Italian spezzare meaning "to split," is a term in music history describing the practice of dividing performers into two or more groups that sing or play from spatially separated locations, often within a church. The resulting antiphonal textures arise from call-and-response exchanges between the dispersed ensembles, using architecture and acoustics to enhance the sound.

The technique flourished in the late Renaissance and into the early Baroque, with its clearest association to the Venetian school and the polychoral tradition of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Composers wrote works for multiple choirs and instrumental groups placed in different galleries, balconies, or tribunes, creating a concerted, spatially aware style. The repertoire includes motets, psalms, canzonas, and other sacred concerted pieces that exploit the antiphonal format.

Key figures in developing spezzati include Andrea Gabrieli and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli, who integrated multiple choirs and instruments into large-scale sacred works. Giovanni Gabrieli’s Sacrae symphoniae (1597) and his canzonas for two or more choirs are often cited as exemplary, as is his In Ecclesiis (early 17th century), which employs spatially separated forces. The spezzati technique helped foster the shift from purely vocal polyphony to the broader concertato style, emphasizing dialogue between groups of performers and the dramatic use of space.

Impact and legacy: Spezzati influenced subsequent Baroque practices in choral and instrumental writing and contributed to the broader exploration of spatial effects in Western art music. Its study offers insight into how architecture, acoustics, and ensemble organization shape musical expression.