Peccantem me quotidie is a motet from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum Ad Matutinum composed by Regnart for four voices (SATB). The Peccantem me quotidie is an old Responsorium, Respond which is still published in the old Liber Usualis page 1797 and is sung after Lectio VII in the third Nocturn. But Jacobus Clemens Non Papa uses in this case the text of the Respond nr. 68 which is not published in the Liber usualis. This peccantem me quotidie is an old Responsorium. There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium Defunctorum, Responds from Office of the Dead known and used all over Europe during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well ordered, this is number 68. The choice of texts and the order in which they occur in the sources vary according to local uses! This motet by Jacobus Clemens first appeared in primae cantiones sacrae, ex typographa Tilmanni Susato, 1546-1547 in Antwerp. Jacobus Clemens has written this Respond motet with the belonging Versicle of the Office of the Dead, Deus in nomine tuo nr. 53 in modest polyphonic imitative style. This long motet in total contains 151 bars. It is interesting compared to the Peccantem by Regnart ( c.1540-1599) this is an other plainchant combination of Peccantem me quotidie now with Deus in nomine tuo. The choice of the texts vary according to local uses and this plainchant Versicle-variation is among others found in Perugia, Biblioteca Comunale 'Augusta', Ms 2800, fol. 154r. Jacobus Clemens uses some discords, flats and special septime chords to express his feelings.


♫ Peccantem me quotidie
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848

The Caligaverunt is a motet from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum composed for four voices (SATB). This Caligaverunt oculi mei is an old Responsorium. There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium Defunctorum, Responds from Office of the Dead known and used during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well ordered, this is number 9. The choice of texts and the order in which they occur in the sources all around Europe vary according to local uses! This setting by Jacobus Clement (Clemens non papa) was published in 1549 in Augsburg by Ulhard in Cantiones Sacrae de festis praecipuis totius anni. Jacob Clement uses an old version of the Respond and even he used the corresponding Versicle number 171, O vos omnes. This motet is written in modest imitative polyphonic counterpoint. The total motet, prima and secunda pars together contains 129 bars. More specifically in the phrase: si est dolor, Jacob Clement uses some flats. The first part of the motet ends catching on in homophony with: sicut dolor meus in e-minor. The second part of the motet ends using the same flats with a pleading: sicut dolor meus but ending in a mild E-major! It seems added in the superior in the last bar, above the last note a g-sharp.

Text:
Caligaverunt oculi mei a fletu meo quia elongatus est a me qui consolabatur me: videte omnes populi si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus. V.O vos omnes, qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte si est dolor similes sicut dolor meus.

Translation:
My eyes have grown dim with weeping; for he that consoled me is far from me. See, all ye people, Is there any sorrow like my suffering? V. O ye all whom are taken their way, wait and see, is there any sorrow like my suffering?

This ‘Ne abscondas me’ is an old Responsorium, Respond. There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium Defunctorum, Responds from Office of the Dead known and used during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well ordered, this is number 51. The second part, pars secunda of this motet is “Voca me” the Versicle following and belonging to this Respond. The Versicle “Voca me” number 244 is used in the Office of the Dead. It is known the use of Responds and Versicles of The Office of the Dead vary per region all over Europe. In general the text is coming out of the Book Job. In Saint Denis and Lyon this Respond is sung after Lesson IV in the second nocturn, with the mentioned Versicle. Some alterations of the Versicle are known. Even it is used in the Abbey of Porquerolles near Toulon. This motet is written for four parts (STTB)
This motet starts with the theme in the Soprano followed by the other voices from above to the bottom-line Tenor I, Tenor II and Bass. The motet contains in the first part 51 bars. The motet has modest imitative polyphonic style. Jacob Clement uses some flats and fine dissonant to express his mourning feelings. The secundo pars the Versicle “Voca me ” starts in the same order as the Respond with the same modest imitative polyphonic style. The secunda pars of this motet contains 52 bars. In accordance to normal practice Jacob Clement ends this motet from bar 90 (running numbering) with the last sentence of the Respond. Clement uses the wording ‘fortitudo’, power instead of the normal ‘formido’, dread. This motet was published post mortem in 1564 by Thesauri musici tomus quintus, et ultimus, continens sacras harmonias quatuor vocibus compositas. Quatuor vocum. Nurenberg, J. Montanus & U. Neuber, 1564, 4 vol. and in 1580 Theatri musici Orlandi selectissimas Orlandi de Lassus aliorumque praestantissimorum musicorum Cantiones sacras, quatuor quinque et plurium vocum, repraentantis. Liber secundus

This Si bona suscepimus is an old Responsorium. There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium Defunctorum, Responds from Office of the Dead known and used during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well ordered, this is number 87. One of the two corresponding Versicle from the Office of the Dead “ Nudus egressus” number 156 is even used by Jacobus Clement like Gombert (c.1495-c.1557), Lassus (1532-1594) and Lechner (1553-1606) did. It is known the use of Responds and Versicles of The Office of the Dead vary per region all over Europe. In general the text is coming out of the Book Job. The choice of texts and the order in which they occur in the sources all around Europe vary according to local uses. This text setting is found in Deventer in a source out of 1516 and this Respond is sung at the end of the third nocturne. This short Respond is written by Jacob Clement for 4 voices (STTB). Clement starts with short pieces of homophony in the first five bars and continues with modest imitative polyphony. From bar 49 Clement starts with the second part the last sentence of the Respond! Without a brake the Versicle Nudus egressus sum starts in bar 60. Clement did not repeat a part of the Respond. Nevertheless this means this motet is written for use in the service. Clement ends with a subtle D sixth chord before ending in D. This motet contains 96 bars and is published post mortem in Cantiones Sacrae ex Libris V & VI postume editis Lovanii, 1559 and in Thesauri musici tomus quintus, et ultimus, continens sacras harmonias quatuor vocibus compositas. Quatuor vocum. Neurenberg, J. Montanus & U. Neuber, 1564. 4 vol nr.

Domine, quando veneris is a motet from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum Ad Matutinum composed by Clement for four voices (CTTB). The Domine, quando veneris is an old Responsorium, Respond and still published in the old Liber Usualis page 1787 and is sung after Lectio III in the Office of the Dead. This Respond (in total 128 bars) with the corresponding Versicle ‘Commissa mea’ is written by Clement for 4 voices in polyphonic imitative style. Clement starts with Bass, followed by Tenor, Altus and Superior. The first part of the Respond contains 65 bars and ends in g minor. Clement uses some flats in this motet to express his feelings and writes it in a more motion style. The Versicle starts in reversed order and contains 63 bars and ends in G-major! Due to the normal practice Clement repeats from bar 116 a part of the Respond. As we saw in Jacob Regnart ( 1540-1599) Clement uses all the text but he omitted the normally sung Requiem aeternam etc. This Respond is published post mortem in Cantiones Sacrae ex Libris V & VI postume editis Lovanii, 1559.


♫ Domine, quando veneris
© Etcetera Records KTC 1664

This Missa Defunctorum (Requiem) contains:
01. Introïtus: Requiem aeternam
02. Kyrie Christe Kyrie
03. Tractus: Abslove Domine
04. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe - Hostias et preces tibi
05. Sanctus & Benedictus
06. Agnus Dei I, II, III
07. Communio: Lux aeterna

♫ 01. Introïtus: Requiem aeternam
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848


♫ 02. Kyrie Christe Kyrie
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848


♫ 03. Tractus: Abslove Domine
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848


♫ 04. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe - Hostias et preces tibi
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848


♫ 05. Sanctus & Benedictus
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848


♫ 06. Agnus Dei I, II, III
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848


♫ 07. Communio: Lux aeterna
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848

This Missa Defunctorum Mass of the Dead is one of the Masses whom deviate from a pattern usual in that time in which several Mass parts became 2-, 3- or even more voice settings. This Requiem is in its whole written for four voices (SATB). Moreover not at this place the belonging text today in the Tractus "Sicut Servus" but the text "Abslove Domine". The same we saw by Esquivel Requiem, Lassus Requiem 1580, Asola requiem. The "Hostias" here separately mentioned is of course part of the Offertorium chant "Domine Jesu Christe" but separate named in the score. The Dutch performers of this Requiem (Dutch Cantorij) have used a manuscript published in 1580.

The beautiful requiem of Jacobus Clemens non Papa demonstrates the range of the composer's typical styles, containing sections written in imitative counterpoint, straight homophony, and the sort of lightly decorated homophony which was to become a hallmark of Lassus' writing.

A motet from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum Ad Matutinum. Responsory from Matins of the Dead and written by Jacob Clement for four voices (SA/TTB). The Responsorium Heu/Hei mihi, Domine is still published in the old Liber Usualis page 1791/92 and is sung after Lectio V in the second nocturn. The Heu mihi, Domine is written by Jacob Clemet in a fluent modest polyphonic counterpoint, using flats and sharps, fine dissonant and the chosen mode a minor to express his feelings. The first part consists out of 78 bars. Like we saw in Crecquillon (c.1510-1557 Jacobus Clement didn’t use the last sentence of the Respond (Misere mei dum veneris in novissimo die) in this part of the Respond. And in the repetition of the Respond Jacob Clement only omitted Miserere mei.
In this motet Jacob Clement uses imitative polyphonic style starting with Superior followed by Tenor I, Tenor II and Bass. The second part starts with the belonging Versicle ‘Anima mea’ starting in the Superior, followed by Tenor I, Tenor II and Bass and ends from bar 101 (by Tenor II) with the last part of the Respond. Which was normal practice in the Service in that time. The secunda pars contains 49 bars. Due to the chosen text you should perform the parts together. The Versicle ends in A-major. A work with fine dissonant chords. The total motet Heu mihi, Domine contains 127 bars. For good understanding I have placed the not used text compared to the Liber Usualis between brackets, see below.
The Respond Heu mihi has been published in:
Liber primus ecclesiasticarum cantionum quatuor vocum vulgo moteta vocant, tam ex Veteri quam ex Novo Testamento, ab optimis quibusque huius aetatis musicis compositarum. Antea nunquam excusus. - Antwerpen, T. Susato, 1553. 4 vol. and Motetti del Laberinto, a quatro voci libro secondo. Sacrarum cantionum sive motettorum, Thome Cricquillonis: Clementis non Papae, aliorumque praestantissimorum auctorum... - Venezia, G. Scotto, 1554. 4 vol.; Sextus tomus Evangeliorum, et piarum sententiarum. Quatuor, sex, et octo vocum. Continens historias & doctrinam, quae in Ecclesia proponi solet: de Poenitentia Nuernberg. J. Montanus & U. Neuber (s.d.) 5 vol. 1556


♫ Heu mihi, Domine
© Hyperion Records CDA 67848

The text of Heu mihi and Anima mea:

R. Heu mihi Domine quia peccavi nimis, in vita mea:
quid faciam miser? ubi fugiam nisi ad te Deus meus?
[Miserere mei dum veneris in novissimo die.]
V. Anima mea turbata est valde sed tu Domine succurre mihi:
[miserere mei] R. dum veneris in novissimo die.

Translation:
R. Woe is me, Lord, for I have sinned greatly.
What shall become of me, wretch that I am;
where shall I flee, except to Thee, O Lord.
[Have mercy on me when Thou shalt come on the last day]
V. My soul is greatly troubled but Thou, O Lord, sustainest me:
[have mercy on me] R. when Thou shalt come on the last day.

This prayer Deus qui nos patrem et matrem out of the Officium Defunctorum is said at the end of the Officium Defunctorum ad Vesperas see pages 1778 and 1779 in the old Liber Usualis where several examples on different occasions have been published. Seen the words this prayer is said when a father and mother have been died and will be buried or will be remembered. This prayer is said nearly at the end of the ceremony of the Officium Defunctorum ad Vesperas.
Jacobus Clemens has set this prayer Deus qui nos patrem et matrem in a motet for five voices (SSATB), the chosen text is remarkable. In this case it is interesting too the second line superior II has a full continuously repeated phrase with a very claiming/demanding text (see the text below) unifying the total motet with a vast cantus firmus, consisting out of fifteen bars. The other four parts are surrounding in a fluent way that second line, the superior II. It is a prove of the high composers-skills by this Netherlandish Jacobus Clemens. In general the choice of texts and the order in which they occur in the Roman rites and in the sources vary according to local uses! But this text is as far as our knowledge not often set by Renaissance composers, so others did. This text as an oratio is used and traced in sources around 1490 in the southern part of the Nederlanden part of the Duchy of Burgundy and successors and some later published in the Misale Romanum 1570.
Seen the text we suppose there should be a certain reason why Jacobus Clemens uses this special wording of this oratio, for instance remembering his father and mother? We don’t know and we will never know. This excellent motet starts with Superior I, followed by Tenor I, Tenor II, Bassus and at last but not least the Superior II with the mentioned vast repeating cantus firmus. The motet is written in a modest polyphonic imitative style and Clemens uses some flats to express the mourning feelings. This motet Deus qui nos patrem et matrem by Jacobus Clemens first appeared in Moteta primum in lucem edita 1554/1555.