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Jean-Baptiste Lully
1632 - 1687
Italy | France
Jean-Baptiste Lully (28/11/1632 - 22/03/1687), an Italian composer by birth (probably born in Florence), working in France at the court of Louis XIV.
Jean-Baptiste Lully survived the performance: while conducting his Te Deum in celebration of the Kings recovery from an illness, he vehemently struck his foot with the sharp-pointed cane used to pound out the beat, gangrene set in, and he died of blood poisoning. Ironic!
Dies irae
Dies irae LWV.64, no.1 contains:
01. Simphonie, tuba mirum 02. Liber scriptus 03. Quid sum miser 04. Rex tremendae 05. Recordare 06. Ingemisco 07. Confutatis 08. Lacrymosa 09. Pie Jesu
01. Simphonie, tuba mirum © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 02. Liber scriptus © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 03. Quid sum miser © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 04. Rex tremendae © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 05. Recordare © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 06. Ingemisco © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 07. Confutatis © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 08. Lacrymosa © Brilliant Classics 95592 ♫ 09. Pie Jesu © Brilliant Classics 95592 Lully composed this Dies irae in G minor for the funeral of Queen Marie-Thérèse (10/09/1638 - 30/07/1683), the wife of Louis XIV, at 30 July 1683. His compositions for the church include a number of motets, some six Grands motets and 14 Petits motets. An example of the first is the fine setting of the Dies irae from the requiem mass, for double choir, of the Te Deum, and the Miserere, the last a favourite of the king. Examples of the second are his settings of the Vespers Psalm Dixit Dominus, the Anima Christi and the Regina coeli.
From the late 17th century onwards, mainly through the contributions of leading opera composers such as Feo, Galuppi, Hasse, Pergolesi, Jommelli, Gassmann, Cimarosa and Gossec, individual movements of the requiem became gradually larger, the orchestration richer and the solo vocal writing more elaborate. In some cases, single texts, usually the sequence and the responsory, were set separately, either as independent motets or as a means of providing vivid contrast within chanted forms of the funeral service. Examples include an impressive Dies irae for soloists, double chorus and orchestra by Lully (1684); and one with similar scoring by J.C. Bach (1757).
Requiem aeternam in: De profundis
♫ Requiem aeternam in: De profundis © FNAC 592303 De profundis (psalm 129) LWV 62, the sixth of the seven penitential psalms, has an important place in the liturgy for the dead. The psalmist, aware of his sin, expects forgiveness only through the grace of God. The piece is in the same key as the Dies irae (G minor) and has the same form. The final verse of the pslam is followed by a symphonie or orchestral passage leading to the "Introit - Requiem aeternam", whose mainly contrapuntal writing marvellously suggests the peace and light of eternal rest. This apotheosis confirms the confidence that ought to be placed in divine forgiveness and is the central message of the De profundis.
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