composer
Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450-1517) is born in the Netherlands (Brabant, now Belgium) and like in so many biographies of early composers, very little is known about his education. He worked ...
related works
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK
Angelorum : for two solo sopranos and female choir / Xavier Gelabert
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Women
Scoring:
VK
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Women
Scoring:
VK
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Women; Female choir and piano
Scoring:
VK4 (pf ad lib.)
composition
Sacred Songs from a Bavarian Choirbook (Volume I) : Five Motets on the Holy Virgin & Missa plena de Beata Maria Virgine, for 3 high voices / Heinrich Isaac; transcribed and edited by Cees Wagemakers
Other authors:
Wagemakers, Cees
(editor)
Contains:
Salva Sancta Parens (2’45”)
Alleluia. Sancta Dei genitrix (2’30”)
Verbum bonum et suave (2’45”)
Præter rerum seriem (2’30”)
Beata viscera (1’15”)
Missa plena de Beata Maria Virgine (25’30”)
Description:
The Bavarian State Library (Bayerische Staats Bibliothek in Munich, Germany) has a unique collection of large folio format choirbooks from the Bavarian court music ensemble, predominantly from the time of Orlando di Lasso serving as court music director. Several splendidly illustrated choir books originally belonged to the personal collection of the Bavarian dukes. The most beautiful one is the collection of motets by Cipriano de Rore for Duke Albrecht V, also available at Donemus. Choirbooks have all the parts on two facing pages, in contrast to the separate books for each voice that we see mostly in Renaissance editions. So a page turn had to come at the same moment for all the voices.
The original choirbook from 1525, without a title (BSB-Hss Mus.ms. 19), contains several motets, hymns, masses and other sacred songs for different occasions in the catholic liturgy. Most of them by Heinrich Isaac and Ludwig Senfl. Besides these two composers we find motets by Josquin and Nicholas Gombert. These have not been transcribed here because the works are rather well-known and to be obtained elsewhere. We have chosen for the less known works to be rediscovered.
The works by Isaac are written for three high voices. Those by Senfl for 4-6 voices. This is why we have chosen to bring them in two separate volumes.
Cees Wagemakers