Among Lasso's best known and most widely circulated works are two sets of motets that were composed explicitly for recreational and didactic purposes. Adam Berg published the _Liber motettarum trium vocum_ in 1575, and then he added three more trios to the original fifteen in a 1577 reissue. The _Novae aliquot, ad duas voces cantiones,_ which appeared in 1577, contains twelve texted and twelve textless duos; the latter may be the only instrumental music that Lasso ever wrote, though vocal performance is also possible. The mainly religious texts in both books were presumably chosen largely to provide edification along with recreation or instruction. The three-voice motets might also be used as service music.

Contents

Liber mottetarum trium vocum

1. Haec quae ter triplici

2. Domine, non est exaltatum cor meum

3. Ego sum resurrectio et vita

4. Laetatus sum

5. Deus, tu scis insipientiam meam

6. Ego sum pauper et dolens

7. Exaudi me, Domine

8. Exaudi, Deus, orationem meam

9. Sancta et immaculata virginitas

10. Cantate Domino canticum novum

11. Christus resurgens ex mortuis

12. Ego dixi: Domine, miserere mei

13. O Maria, clausus hortus

14. Beati omnes qui timent Dominum

15. Ave Regina caelorum

16. Domine Deus meus, in te speravi

17. Justus es Domine

18. Diligam te, Domine

Novae aliquot, ad duas voces cantiones

1. Beatus vir qui in sapienta morabitur

2. Beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam

3. Oculus non vidit

4. Justus cor suum tradet

5. Expectatio justorum laetitia

6. Qui sequitur me

7. Justi tulerunt spolia impiorum

8. Sancti mei

9. Qui vult venire post me

10. Serve bone et fidelis

11. Fulgebunt justi sicut lilium

12. Sicut rosa inter spinas

12 untexted pieces

Reviews

Jessie Ann Owens, Notes, March 1999; Christine de Catanzaro, Choral Journal, December 1996; Edward Wickham, Early Music Today, April/May 1997