related works
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12)
Scoring:
zang
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12)
Scoring:
zang
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12)
Scoring:
sopr alt ten bas
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12)
Scoring:
3zang
composition
New Selection of Exquisite Motets (Volume III) : for 8 and 18 voices / Melchior Vulpius; transcribed and edited by Cees Wagemakers
Other authors:
Wagemakers, Cees
(Editor)
Vulpius, Melchior
(Composer)
Contains:
Domine, labia mea aperies (4’00”)
Nunc Angelorum gloria (7’15”)
Aurea quisquis amat (7’30”)
Dominus noster Jesus Christus (6’00”)
Dum complerentur à 18 (6’00”)
Description:
The underlying work is the Opusculum Novum selectissimarum cantionum sacrarum, meaning ‘New Opuscule of most exquisite motets’, published in Erfurt in 1610 by Heinrich Birnstiel. (This title is here translated into New Selection of Exquisite Motets) It contains unaccompanied religious works for 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 voices, and even one for 18 voices: 3 choruses of six voices, a very monumental work. This can best be performed or doubled by instruments in the lower regions. The deep bass voice going to C will sound marvelously on a sackbut.
The motets in this book all have a rather mathematical structure; the voices in the polyphonic parts each starting the same time after the other. In all the pieces there is a remarkable daring repetition of a theme as a token of emphasis; on the other hand: the effect of emphasis is achieved in strictly homophonic phrases.
Both these two phenomena, trademarks of Vulpius’ music, can be heard in the Pater noster à 4 and à 5. Especially the pieces for 6 and more voices are breathing the atmosphere of Venetian polychoral works. Vulpius must have known the music of Claudio Monteverdi and Giovanni Gabrieli, because his polychoral style shows several elements of the works of these Venetians.
Cees Wagemakers, 2016