Johann Rosenmuller (1617-1684) was employed for a time as a trombonist in San Marco, and, from 1658 to 1682, he worked as choirmaster at the Ospedale della Pieta. Unmissable in his works is the influence of Francesco Cavalli who, after Monteverdi s death, rose up to become the leading composer in Venice, and whose opera style Rosenmuller copied in his own church music. The overwhelming majority of Rosenmuller s Venetian compositions are the Latin psalm concertos, which belong liturgically to Compline (Latin completus: completed, concluded), the prayers for the end of the day, at the close of Vespers. The Bible texts, which have a special relationship with night and with sleep, symbols of death, are specifically required by the liturgy. Unlike the great Vespers psalm concertos for male and female saints, which distinguish themselves with their splendid sound structure from multiple choirs in the style of Gabrieli, the compositions on this CD show intimacy as well as passion.