The lessons in the Office of the Dead/Officium defunctorum ad Matutinum consists out of nine short lessons, we found six lessons in the biblioteca de Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial Madrid and in the Catalogo del Archivo de Musica por Rubio, as so far.

This “Parce mihi Domine” is the Lesson I, Lectio primo used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum and still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1785. This Lesson I, in primo nocturne/in first Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla which is normally used at the Office of the Dead ad Matins in the Spanish Liturgy. This long motet “Parce mihi Domine” consisting out of 115 bars, is written in a chordal homophonic polychoral style, consisting out of Coro I SSAT (Tiple 1 and 2, Contralto, Tenor) and Coro II SATB (Tiple, Contralto, Tenor, Bajo) with contrabajo and organ as a basso continuo (bajo continuo). The two choirs alternate with each other and sometimes merge together. The incipit ‘Parce mihi’ is set with consecutive half notes. The two choirs merge together in a sonorous “qui magnificas eum” (in Ms. 17-21) followed with a more lively part (in Ms.22-35) with quavers and dotted notes underlining and following the rhythm of the words ‘visitas’,’subito’ and ‘probas’. A real Venetian polychoral style (Coro spezzati technique) starts as from ‘et factus sum’ up to ‘ecce nunc’ (Ms.73-94). This motet Parce mihi Domine is set in G-major and is published in 1788 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial and published too between 1724 and 1794 by Francisco de Paula Rodriquez (1724-1762) and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) and further in 1803 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, probablemente fue copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824) and found in the biblioteca.

Text:
Lectio I
Parce mihi Domine nihil enim sunt dies mei.
Quid est homo quia magnificas eum?
aut quid apponis erga eum cor tuum?
Visitas eum diluculo, et subito probas illum.
Usquequo non parcis mihi nec dimittis me,
ut glutiam salivam meam?
Peccavi, quid faciam tibi o custos hominum?
Quare posuisti me contrarium tibi,
et factus sum mihimetipsi gravis?
Cur non tollis peccatum meum,
et quare non aufers iniquitatem meam?
Ecce nunc in pulvere dormiam:
et si mane me quaesieris, non subsistam.
(Job 7, 16-21)

Translation:
First Lesson
Spare me O Lord for my days are nothing.
What is man, that thou magnifies him:
or why settest thou thy heart toward him?
Thou dost visit him early in the morning,
and suddenly thou provest him.
How long dost thou not spare me, nor suffer me,
that I swallow my spittle?
I have sinned. What shall I do to thee, O keeper of men?
Why hast thou set me contrary to thee,
and I am become burdensome to myself?
Why dost thou not take away my sin,
and why dost thou not take away mine iniquity?
Behold now I shall sleep in the dust,
and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.
(Job7, 16-21)

A score of the lectio II ‘Taedet animam meam’ of the Officium Defunctorum, ad Matutinum, primo nocturne, second lesson out of the Office of the Dead, ad Matins, first Nocturn is not found by us in the biblioteca de Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial Madrid so far.

Qui Lazarum resuscitasti is a second plainchant Responsorium from de Officium Defunctorum Ad Matutinum in primo nocturne, Office of the Dead, ad Matins, first Nocturn. This motet is set by Pedro de Tafalla for four voices (SATB) indicated as Tiple, Contralto, Tenor, Bajo. The Qui Lazarum resuscitasti is an old Responsorium, Responsory and still published in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1786 and is sung after Lectio II in the Office of the Dead. Pedro de Tafalla ends this motet with a threefold Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison and Kyrie eleison. This motet consists out of four homophonic phrases alternated with four styled plainchant phrases with long notes. The threefold closing Kyrie has two homophonic phrases alternated with one styled plainchant phrase in a reciting tone. This total motet consists out of 85 bars. In the Latin text-part below we will indicate (by P.) the set styled plainchant. We suggest each chant melody or reciting tone will be sung by cantors. Pedro de Tafalla sets this motet in three different modes, F-Lydian, C-major and A-Aeolian. This four-part Respond “Qui Lazarum resuscitasti” is found and preserved in the Real biblioteca del monastrio de El Escorial and published between 1762 and 1792 copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) and between 1780 and 1824 en portado Puestos en Partitura por el P Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824).

This “Manus tuae Domine fecerunt me” is Lesson III, Lectio tertio used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum and still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1787. This Lesson III in primo nocturne/in first Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla in polychoral style Coro I SSAT and Coro II SATB with contrabajo and bajo continuo and is set in a-minor. This motet Parce mihi Domine is set in a-minor and is published in 1788 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Castillo Lorenzo, fecit 1788) and published between 1724 and 1794 by Francisco de Paula Rodriquez (1724-1762) and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) and in 1803 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, probablemente fue copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824) and found in the biblioteca.

This “Responde mihi” is the Lesson I, Lectio primo in secundo nocturno used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum (in fact Lectio IV) and is still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1791. This Lesson I in secundo nocturne/in second Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla in polychoral style Coro I SSAT and Coro II SATB with contrabajo and bajo continuo(sine apenas cifrado/not figured) and is set in G-major. This motet Responde mihi is set in G-major and is published in 1788 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Castillo Lorenzo, fecit 1788) further published between 1724 and 1794 by Francisco de Paula Rodriquez (1724-1762) and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) and in 1803 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, probablemente fue copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824) and found in the biblioteca.

A score of the Lectio II ‘Homo natus de muliere’ out of the Officium Defunctorum, ad Matutinum, secundo nocturne, (in fact Lectio V) Office of the Dead, ad Matins, second Nocturn is not found by us in the biblioteca de Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial Madrid so far.

This “Quis mihi hoc tribuat” is the Lesson III, Lectio tertio in secundo nocturno used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum (in fact Lectio VI) and is still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1792. This Lesson III in secundo nocturne/in second Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla in polychoral style Coro I SSAT and Coro II SATB with contrabajo and bajo continuo(con parte cifrado/figured) and is set in a-minor. This motet Quis mihi hoc tribuat is set in a-minor and is published in 1788 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Castillo Lorenzo, fecit 1788 and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) further published in 1803 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, probablemente fue copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824) and found in the biblioteca.

This “Spiritus meus attenuabitur” is the Lesson I, Lectioprimo in tertio nocturno used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum (in fact Lectio VII) and is still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1797. This Lesson I in tertio nocturne/in third Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla in polychoral style Coro I SSAT and Coro II SATB with contrabajo and bajo continuo(sine parte cifrado/unfigured) and is set in a-minor. This motet Spiritus meus attenuabitur is set in a-minor and is published in 1788 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Castillo Lorenzo, fecit 1788 and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) further published between 1724 and 1794 by Francisco de Paula Rodriquez (1724-1762) and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) and published in 1803 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, probablemente fue copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824) and found in the biblioteca.

A score of the Lectio II ‘Pelli mea’ of the Officium Defunctorum, ad Matutinum, tertio nocturne, (in fact Lectio VIII) Office of the Dead, ad Matins, third Nocturn is not found by us in the biblioteca de Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial Madrid so far.

This “Quare de vulva” is the Lesson III, Lectio tertio in tertio nocturno used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum (in fact Lectio IX) and is still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1798. This Lesson III in tertio nocturne/in third Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla in polychoral style Coro I SSAT and Coro II SATB with contrabajo and bajo continuo(sine parte cifrado/unfigured) and is set in G-Major. This motet Quare de vulva is set in G-Major and is published in 1788 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Castillo Lorenzo, fecit 1788 and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) further published between 1724 and 1794 by Francisco de Paula Rodriquez (1724-1762) and Pablo Ramoneda (1743-1792) and published in 1803 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, probablemente fue copiado por el fraile Jeronimo Jaime Ferrer (1762-1824) and found in the biblioteca.

Epilogue. We studied the catalogo del Archivo de Musica del monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial por Rubio, MCMLXXVI. Rubio concluded on page 548 Pedro de Tafalla wrote six Lecciones breves de los tres nocurtnos de difuntos, a 8! Rubio mentioned which we discussed here above the following lessons out of the three Nocturns of the Dead: 1. Parce mihi, Domine no. 1.865 ; 2. Manus tuae no. 1.866 3. Responde mihi no. 1.867 4. Quis mihi, 5. Spiritus meus no 1.868 and 6. Quare de vulva no. 1.869.

This “Responde mihi” is the Lesson I, Lectio primo in secundo nocturno used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum (in fact Lectio IV) and is still used and published in the Office of the Dead at Matins, in the old Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1791. This Lesson I in secundo nocturne/in second Nocturn is set by Pedro de Tafalla for four voices SATB and is set in G-major. This motet Responde mihi is published between 1669 and 1732 by Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial and is found in the biblioteca. This Responsory is described by Rubio in Catalogo del Archivo de Musica, page 27.