[2][3] (The distinction of being the first belongs to Adriano Banchieri's "Canzon undecima 'In echo' (L'organistina bella)" in 1596).
[4][citation needed] The title Sonata pian’e forte refers to an instrumental piece that uses soft and loud dynamics.
The piece is an example of the Venetian polychoral style, which developed in sixteenth-century northern Italy, and found particular favor at St Mark's Basilica due to architectural features of the interior.
It was most probably intended for a Catholic service at either St Mark's, Venice, or the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
Gabrieli's Sonata pian ’e forte is a through-composed work, the structure of which is defined by dialogue between the two instrumental choirs.