Tarquinio Merula, born in 1595, moved to Cremona at a very early age where he spent the better part of his life. His fame as organist and composer brought him to work in other important Italian cities (he was organist in Bergamo and Lodi and active in Venice and Warsaw), but always with appointments lasting only a few years: evidently the musical climate in Cremona had nothing to envy far more important cultural centers. A highly respected musician, he was a prolific writer of collections of madrigals, organ pieces and instrumental music. The wonderful sonatas of op. XII, some recorded for the first time on this release, are played by Ensemble L’Aura Soave on original instruments.