Missa Defunctorum for four voices.

Adesto dolori meo, a motet for six voices.

♫ Adesto dolori meo
© PentaTone PTC 5186 948

A motet from the Responsorium de Officium defunctorum composed for six voices (SSA/TTTB). The Adesto dolori meo is an old Responsorium. There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium defunctorum known and used during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well ordered. This setting by De Wert was published in Motectorum quinque Vocum, Liber Primus (1566).
De Wert uses from the beginning a very sophisticated contrapuntal polyphonic style, with some repeating chromatic lines in all voices in the first 14 bars. To make differences and to bring accent and contrast in following the text De Wert uses by the wording "Et cantatio mea," "my singing" ( bars 39 – 44) quicker and shorter notes compared to "in plorationem," "into weeping" (bars 44 -52) which is set in very long notes. Those phrases will be repeated and at the end is a descending line in the Cantus/Superior.

Responsorium nr 3:

Adesto dolori meo, O Deus, nimium fatigor,
et cecidit in luctum Cythara mea,
et cantatio mea in plorationem.

(I am consumed with my grief, O God,
I am too much tormented;
My harp has fallen into mourning,
My singing into weeping.)

Peccavi super numerum, a Requiem motet.

♫ Peccavi super numerum
© PentaTone PTC 5186 948

Peccavi super Numerum is a plainchant from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum. There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium Defunctorum known and used during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well-ordered. The Peccavi super numerum is number 69. This Respond is known in the series of Lyon, but the Respond of Lyon has another Versicle no. 170, instead of the used Versicle by De Wert (no. 190). The Versicle ‘Quoniam iniquitatem’ is verse 4 out of Psalm 50 which is used in the Office of the Dead (Liber Usualis ed. 1936 page 1800). The first part of this Respond is out of the apocryphal Prayer of Manasseh. De Wert uses the normal Repetition of the last sentence of the Respond Quoniam irritavi fram tuam etc. which is normal in the use of a whole Respond in the liturgy. This text is composed for six voices (SSATTTB) by the South-Netherlandish composer Giaches de Wert as a motet. It is a very long motet which consists out of 164 bars. De Wert starts in the first five bars in a homophonic way and continues thereafter with an interesting imitative polyphonic style. The words “et non sum dignus videre altitudinem caeli, and I am not worthy to view the height of heaven” (Bars 22-33) are set in all parts in an ascending chromatic way. In the “Quoniam irritavi iram tuam, because I have provoked your wrath” ( Bars 47-58) you hear the irritation and the provocation painted in the lively short figured notes. De Wert underlines the importance of the words “et malum coram te fecit, and done evil in your sight” in all parts with all descending brevi. (Long notes in bars 58-68). The first part ends in G-Dorian. The second part the Versicle “Quoniam” starts with imitative polyphonic style. The words “ego cognosco, my transgression” are set in an interesting polychoral style (Bars 94-101). The repetition of the last part of the Respond (as from bar 129) in the Versicle is even musically identic to that last same part and words of the Respond. The second part ends in G-Dorian. Only Cantus1 and Cantus 2 have changed places with their notes compared to the Respond. In this imposing motet you hear the great skills of one of the masters of the fifth South-Netherlandish generation Giaches de Wert. This setting was published in Modulationem cum sex vocibus, Liber primus (1581).