Mary has held a central position in Christianity since the dawn of the church. As early as 250AD, prayers were being written to her, and her position was solidified by the Council of Ephesus in 431AD as Theotokus, or “Birthgiver of God.”   

In the first half of the 17th century especially, composers preferred the often much more elaborate hymns of praise to Mary, either cobbled together from various Biblical passages, or freely written based upon either Biblical events or Church dogma.

All of these pieces were recorded using editions of original manuscripts.

Contents:
1. Libera usualis: Ave Maria
2. Alessandro Grandi: O quam tu pulchra es
3. Claudio Monteverdi: Exulta filia
4. Girolamo Frescobaldi: Toccata settima
5. Alessandro Grandi: Tota pulchra es
6. Alessandro Grandi: Virgo prudentissima
7. Giacomo Carissimi: O quam pulchra es
8. Johann Kaspar Kerll: Toccata prima (for organ)
9. Alessandro Grandi: Hodie virgo Jesu dilecta
10. Giacomo Carissimi: Salve, salve puellule
11. Claudio Monteverdi: Pianto della Madonna

Total time: 79:02