A setting of the Nunc dimittis from Francesco Passarini's Compieta Concertata A Cinque Voci con Violini obligati, op. 3 (Bologna, 1672)
Scored for: SATTB solo, SATTB tutti (optional), 2 violins and organ continuo
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Francesco Passarini was born in Bologna and received his musical training at the monastery of San Francesco. He appears to have taken an appointment as organist in Ferrara from 1662 to 1663 but by 1672 he had been appointed as the maestro di cappella back at San Francesco in Bologna. Around this time, he produced the first three of his four collections of sacred music, starting with a publication of psalms and litanies in the concerted style (Salmi concertati, op. 1, 1671) and a collection of antiphons for solo voice and continuo (Antifone della Beata Virgine, op. 2,1672), His third collection, Compieta Concertata A Cinque Voci con Violini obligati, op. 3, was also printed in 1672 and. This concentrated output of music was perhaps a reason why he soon after gained a position in Venice, as maestro di cappella of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. In 1680 he returned to his former post in Bologna and remained there until his death, save for a brief spell in Florence. He appears to have had connections with Mantua, for he dedicated Compieta Concertata to Isabella Gonzaga. This collection of music for compline contains ten works of varying scorings, concluding with the present setting of Nunc dimittis.