ABSTRACT
In his previously mentioned note on the rehearsal of Pisari’s Dixit Dominus, Baini only briefly mentions the other composition presented on that occasion, ‘the Kyrie and Gloria in 48 parts divided into 12 choruses, a work by Gregorio Ballabene’. Later generations of music historians similarly provide very little information on both the author and his work. Any attempt to get closer to this mysterious composition would first have to consider the extant copies of the score, which have survived in several prominent collections. Second, it is important to examine the correspondence that accompanied Ballabene’s numerous efforts to promote the work and to obtain official appreciation of its qualities. In the present study, these and further source materials are taken into consideration, thus revealing additional details about the score and the history of its transmission.
