Giovanni Paolo Colonna. The Return of a Baroque Genius

After more than three hundred years of silence, Giovanni Paolo Colonna’s masterpiece Missa a più cori returns to the concert stage. This work by the 17th-century Italian Baroque master will resound at the Klaipėda Concert Hall as a world premiere of our time, presented by an international project bringing together the Lithuanian soloists of Canto Fiorito, the Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra, and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society.

A composer, organist, and teacher who worked in Bologna, G. P. Colonna was one of the most prominent musical figures of his era. His reputation extended to the leading cultural centres of Europe, and his sacred works were commissioned even by Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Colonna played an important role in shaping the missa concertata style, in which the tradition of the Mass was combined with rich instrumental textures, dialogue between multiple choirs, and the grandeur characteristic of the Baroque era.

Written for three choirs and string orchestra, Missa a più cori reveals the composer’s mastery in handling large ensembles and creating an impressive sonic landscape. Alongside this work, Colonna’s Lamentations will further illuminate his sacred musical legacy. After centuries preserved in historical sources, this music will once again become a living sound, offering a renewed encounter with a composer whose name was an essential part of European Baroque history.