Here is the last bit of anything I have to offer on Gorzanis and the mandolin orchestra at the moment, this from the liner notes of the previously cited CD:
Gorzanis, a native of the southern Italian province of Puglia, was blind by birth [EB: if he was blind "by" birth, thank God he enjoyed his pre-birth years as sighted]. He was probably of noble parentage, and it is thought that he began his career at the Spanish court in Bari. After extended travels, he settled in Trieste. A great many of his compositions were works for lute, and they were praised for their virtuosity and complexity. They are regarded as important forerunners of the Italian variation dance suite [EB: I'm not entirely certain what "variation dance suite" should imply]. Gorzanis' printed editions met with great esteem already during his lifetime. In 1570 he published a collection entitled Il primo libro di napolitane ariose che si cantano et sonano in leuto. These >>napolitane ariose<< are characterized by what is mostly a three-part homophonic design and fifth parallels >>forbidden<< in the traditional writing style. Dieter Kreidler has arranged five dance suites from this collection for a four-part baroque lute ensemble [EB: i.e., pseudo-anachronistic, big, 6-course, modern German barockmandolinen as the sopranos], panpipes, and percussion. This instrumentation brings the sound world of prebaroque Neapolitan music to new life. Marga Wilden-Husgen Susan Marie Praeder, trans. So, it would appear that you should be seeking the Napolitane Ariose. I'm still eager to hear how the performance unfolds. Best, Eugene -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
