Recent Researches in the Music of the Renaissance

Orlando di Lasso
The Complete Motets 5
Motets from Quinque et sex vocibus perornatae sacrae cantiones (Venice, 1565)
Motets for Five to Eight Voices from Sacrae cantiones, liber secundus, tertius, quartus (Venice, 1566)
Edited by Peter Bergquist
 

R 109	ISBN 0-89579-385-7	(1997) xxix+306 pp.	$109.00
	ISBN 978-0-89579-385-0 (13-digit)

This volume includes 26 Lasso motets for five, six, and eight voices first published in Venice in Girolamo Scotto's Sacrae cantiones of 1565 and Antonio Gardano's Orlandi Lassi Sacrae Cantiones, libri 2, 3, and 4. Lasso's settings of Italian texts had been frequently published in Italy since 1555, but his motets were not printed there (or almost anywhere else) until the 1560s. Gardano and his successors eventually published eight numbered books of Lasso motets, but these three and Scotto's book are the only ones that contain a significant number of first editions. The increase in length of some of the motets in the French books of 1564 and 1565 (CM 4) is seen in the Italian books as well, with extended gospel settings such as "Missus est Angelus Gabriel," "In principio erat Verbum," and "Cum natus esset Jesus." The hymn-motets "Jesu, corona virginum" and "Vexilla regis prodeunt" are similarly expansive. The setting of Savanarola's meditation on Psalm 50, "Infelix ego," is especially expressive. The ascription to Lasso of two motets in this volume, "Zachaee, festinans descende" and "Gloria Patri," is questionable.

Music Sample

Contents:
Missus est Angelus Gabriel
Tribus miraculis
Cantate Domino conticum novum
De ore prudentis
Deus canticum novum
Jesu, corona virginum
Vexilla regis prodeunt
Concupiscendo concupiscit
Lauda Jerusalem

Zachaee, festinans descende
Quid gloriaris in malitia
Gloria Patri

In principio erat Verbum
Cum natus esset Jesus
Domine, deduc me
Nuptiae factae sunt
Junior fui
Congratulamini mihi omnes
Tempus est, ut revertar
Homo, cum in honore esset
Audi tellus
Dominus mihi adjutor
Infelix ego
Anni nostri sicut aranea
Deus misereatur nostri
Levavi oculos meos in montes