related works
Five Masses : for 4 voices / Elzéar Genet; transcribed and edited by Cees Wagemakers
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK
A cette heure du jour : for mixed choir a cappella, 1991-1992 / Ton de Leeuw
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK8
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir; Male choir
Scoring:
GK2
Dämmerung : für gemischten Chor ohne Begleitung / [Text:] (Goethe), Alphons Diepenbrock
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK4
composition
Five Masses : for 4 voices / Elzéar Genet; transcribed and edited by Cees Wagemakers
Other authors:
Wagemakers, Cees
(Editor)
Genet, Elzéar ('Carpentras')
(Composer)
Contains:
Missa Se mieulx ne vient à 4 (31’)
Missa À l’ombre d’ung buissonet à 4 (27’30”)
Missa Le cueur fut mien à 4 (26’)
Missa Fors seulement à 4 (33’15”)
Missa Encore iray je jouer à 4 (20’30”)
Description:
The masses presented in this volume are diverse, fresh in polyphony and build-up. All 5 masses are parody masses, based on a chanson or madrigal. The original texts are mostly very profane, to say it mildly, and this was the reason they were forbidden after the Tridentine Council. The first Mass Se mieulx ne vient gave me some reminiscence of the Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariæ by Josquin Desprez. It is composed as a parody on a chanson by François Villon. The original chanson is written by P. Convert and is to be found in the Copenhagen Chansonnier.
The text setting in the masses is unmistakably French, with the emphasis of the words on the last syllable. It demands some practice to get used to this for people who are used to the Italian way of pronunciation of Latin.
The style of Elzéar Genet is typical for the generation after Josquin Desprez, with the usual pervasive paired imitation. When he wants to give the text more emphasis he uses homophonic phrases.
Cees Wagemakers, 2018