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Choro et Organo by Bernardino Bottazzi (1560-1614) may be considered the most extensive and best-known collection of Italian organ works from the early 17th century. In the beautiful edition printed by Giacomo Vincenti, the musical notation used relates to a tradition that is more Renaissance than early baroque namely, Italian tablature for organ (in this case, with an eight-line stave for the left hand and one of five lines for the right). There are 22 hymns in Choro et Organo. For some of these, Bottazzi's organ verset is identical, for example Christe Redemptor omnium, whose melody is the same as that sung for the feast of All Saints although with a slightly different text. We know for certain that vocal forces and organ followed a pattern of alternation which, in Bottazzi's case, seems fully in line with the practices as evidenced by analogous works from the same period 5 versets for the Kyrie, 9 for the Gloria, 2 for the Sanctus and just 1 for the Agnus Dei, given that - according to Adriano Banchieri (1608) - the last of the three Agnus Dei would be replaced by an organ composition, generally a canzona. It is possible that a collection of canzonas, as well as a number of Magnificats and ricercars, might have formed the basis of a hypothetical second book of Choro et Organo, given that the title on the frontispiece incorporates the standard term of 'Libro Primo'. Regrettably, we have no information, either on such a follow-up publication, nor indeed about Bottazzi's own life, other than his self-description as coming from Ferrara (which may only have been a city he resided in or where he took his religious vows rather than where he was actually born). Before each of the organ versets, the beautiful edition of Choro et Organo always presents the melody in cantus firmus, written on a five-line stave. In his introductory text ('To the gentle reader'), Bottazzi sta
