[Theme music begins]
Welcome to Harmonia . . . I'm Angela Mariani. The Book of Psalms forms an important part of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant rituals. This hour, we'll focus on Latin settings of one particular psalm - depending on which numbering you are using, psalm 129 or 130. It is one of the seven Penitential Psalms, beginning (in one translation), "Out of the depths I cried to thee, O Lord."
We'll hear an incredible array of settings by some of the best-regarded composers of the C16 and C17, including Josquin des Prez, Orlando di Lasso, and Jean-Baptiste Lully. Plus, our featured release premiers late seventeenth century harpsichord music from a manuscript belonging to one of Louis XIV's mistresses.
[Theme music fades]
MUSIC TRACK
Le manuscrit de Madame Théobon
Christopher Rousset
Aparte 2022 / B099C12FGN
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Tr.48 Entrée d'Apollon (2:41)
Tr. 49 Suite de L'Entrée (1:59)
Harpsichordist Christoph Rousset played two movements in G minor by Jean-Baptiste Lully, both arrangements of music from his opera Le triomphe de l'amour, drawn from a manuscript belonging to one Madame Théobon, a noble French woman who was a mistress of Louis XIV.
Rousset's 2022 recording is appropriately entitled Le manuscrit de Madame Théobon, and was played on a harpsichord that dates from the time of the music itself.
Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion, often taking us from one to the other. This hour, we're going to explore settings of the psalm De profundis clamavi which, depending on how you're counting, is either the 129th or the 130th Psalm. Its text expresses sorrow for sin, beginning "Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord" but ends with hope: "for with the Lord there is mercy: and with him is plenteous redemption."
Psalm singing is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, and other Protestant liturgies. Today's psalm is one of seven Penitential Psalms, and also one of 15 psalms that begin with the words "A song of ascents," perhaps because they were sung by pilgrims ascending the road to Jerusalem, and it has been set to music often. The Latin text of the psalms does not vary, so we'll be hearing the same words treated rather differently by different composers. (By the way, next week, we'll explore settings of this same psalm in translation.) Let's begin our journey with a simple four-voice setting by Josquin des Pres that was first published in 1539.
MUSIC TRACK
In the Footsteps of Petrus Alamire
Laudantes Consort
Etcetera 2015 / B014EM31FU
Josquin
Tr. 12 De profundis (6:24)
We heard Josquin des Prez' 4-part setting of De profundis sung by the Laudantes Consort.
We'll turn now to the lesser-known Adrian Willaert, who was nonetheless highly revered in his own lifetime, probably the most highly regarded composer between Josquin and Lassus. Willaert composed two settings of our psalm, this one for 2 four-part choirs.
MUSIC TRACK
Acqua Alta
Serikon/ Daniel Stighäll, Erik Westberg
Footprint Records 2014 / B01AXM7XK4
Willaert
Tr. 4 De profundis (6:16)
The ensemble Serikon, directed by Daniel Stighäll, sang Adrian Willaert's double choir setting of De profundis.
Roland de Lassus, perhaps the all-time master of text-setting, set all seven of the Penitential Psalms. His setting of De profundis calls for five voices until the last section, when the top part divides into two, moving us from the depths of despair to the heights of hope.
MUSIC TRACK
Psalmi Davidis poenitentiales
Collegium Vocale/Philippe Herreweghe
Harmonia Mundi 2006 / B000EAVAEQ
Roland de Lassus
CD2/tr 3 Psalmus Sextus Poenitentiales: De profundis (9:17)
We heard Roland de Lassus' De profundis interpreted by the Collegium Vocale, directed by Philippe Herreweghe, on their 2006 Harmonia Mundi release Psalmi Davidis poenitentiales.
[Theme music begins]
Theme Music Bed: Ensemble Alcatraz, Danse Royale, Elektra Nonesuch 79240-2 / B000005J0B, T.12: La Prime Estampie Royal
Early music can mean a lot of things. What does it mean to you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org, where you’ll also find playlists and an archive of past shows.
You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.
[Theme music fades]
:59 Midpoint Break Music Bed:
Le manuscrit de Madame Théobon, Christopher Rousset, Aparte 2022 / B099C12FGN, Jacques Champion de Chambonnieres, Tr. 2 La Loureuse [allemande] (excerpt of 2:34)
Welcome back. We're listening to settings of the "Song of Ascent" that begins with the words "De profundis" - "from the depths." In Italy, Lassus' near-contemporary, Andrea Gabrieli, composed a 6-part setting that combines voices and instruments.
MUSIC TRACK
Andrea Gabrieli: Missa Pater peccavi - Motets and instrumental music
His Majesty’s Consort of Voices; His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts/Timothy Roberts
Hyperion 2000 / B00004U2KF
Andrea Gabrieli
Tr. 2 De profundis (5:35)
His Majesty's Consort of Voices and His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts, conducted by Timothy Roberts, performed Andrea Gabrieli's De profundis.
The French baroque grand motet, celebrating the glory of both the King and God, is emblematic of Louis XIV’s reign. Of the many grand ceremonies held at court, the royal funeral of Queen Marie-Thérèse's in 1683 was among the most opulent, and even though he never held an official post in the Chapelle du Roi, Lully's De profundis, scored for five solo voices, chorus, strings, and continuo, was sung at that event. We only have time for the first part of Lully's motet, which continues for 14 more minutes!
MUSIC TRACK
LULLY: Dies irae / De profundis / Te Deum
Sophie Junker, Judith van Wanroij, Matthias Vidal, Cyril Auvity, Thibaut Lenaerts, Alain Buet; Chœur de Chambre de Namur; Millenium Orchestra; Leonardo García Alarcón, conductor.
Alpha 2019 / B07SWQ1C7V
Jean Baptiste Lully
Tr. 14 Symphonie - De profundis (8:32)
The Namur Chamber Choir, with the Millenium Orchestra, sang [the first part of] Jean Baptiste Lully's De profundis.
Having arrived in Lully's France, let's turn to our featured release.
Difficult though it is to imagine, in 2004 harpsichordist Christoph Rousset was perusing eBay and came upon a seventeenth century, (though, it was mislabeled as eighteenth century) manuscript dedicated to one Madame de Théobon.
Lydie de Rochefort-Théobon was lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie-Therèse – that is, she was … until she began a liaison with Louis XIV and was expelled. Subsequently, she was lady-in-waiting and best friend of Louis' sister, the Duchesse d'Orléans.
Her harpsichord book comprises essential French pieces of the late C17; transcriptions of compositions by Lully; seven hitherto unknown, unmeasured preludes; and several other unpublished pieces. Let’s listen to Jean-Henri D'Anglebert's well-known Les Folies d'Espagne, though this is slightly different from the more familiar version of “Folies d’Espagne,” and includes an extra variation at the end.
MUSIC TRACK
Le manuscrit de Madame Théobon
Christopher Rousset
Aparte 2022 / B099C12FGN
Jean-Henri D'Anglebert
Tr. 33 Les Folies d'Espagne (8:51)
A version of Jean-Henri D'Anglebert's Les Folies d'Espagne on our featured release, the 2022 Aparte recording Le manuscrit de Madame Théobon by Christoph Rousset.
(Fade in theme music)
Harmonia is a production of WFIU. Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.
Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. And, you can follow our Facebook page by searching for Harmonia Early Music.
The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Wendy Gillespie.
Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Wendy Gillespie, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia.
(Theme music ends)
