Viva Italia: Sacred Music in 17th Century Rome

V I VA I TA L I A

S ACR ED MUSIC IN 17 T H CEN T UR Y ROM E Duke Vespers Ensemble with MallarmĂŠ Chamber Players and Washington Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble DUK E CH A PEL

As a courtesy to the performers and other audience members, we ask that you turn off all watches, cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices during the concert.

Restrooms are located in the Divinity School, on all three levels of the Bryan Center, and in the basement of Page Auditorium.

These performances are made possible through generous support of the Vereen Family Endowment for Choral Vespers, with additional support from the Friends of Duke Chapel.

For more information about the Duke Vespers Ensemble, including auditions for next year, please contact brian.schmidt@duke.edu.

V I VA I TA L I A

S ACR ED MUSIC IN 17 T H CEN T UR Y R OM E Duke Vespers Ensemble with Mallarmé Chamber Players and Washington Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble D U K E C H A PE L · S A T U R D A Y, A PR I L 18 , 2 0 1 5 · 4 : 0 0 PM C H R I S T C H U R C H , R A L E IGH · S U N D A Y, A PR I L 19, 3 : 0 0 PM C H U R C H O F T H E C O V E N A N T, B O S T O N E A R L Y M U S I C F E S T I VA L F R I N GE C O N C E R T · W E D N E S D A Y, J U N E 10 , 1: 3 0 PM

Brian A. Schmidt, Conductor

v i va i ta l i a De us in A dj u tor ium M e um In t ende.................................... Plainchant Di x it D om in us ..................................... Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)

Doug Dodson, Countertenor Bille Bruley, Tenor Matthew Curran, Bass A ve R egin a C a elorum (a8)......................... Tomรกs Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) S a lv e R egin a (a5).......................................................................... Victoria O Du lcissi mum M a r i a e Nom en................... Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674)

edition by Lyle Nordstrom Laura Dawalt & Julianna Emanski, Sopranos M issa S a nc ta M a r i a M agda len a e........ Giovanni Felice Sances (1600-1679)

edition by Stephen Saunders & David Hauser Laura Dawalt & Julianna Emanski, Sopranos Doug Dodson & Elizabeth Johnson Knight, Altos Bille Bruley & Nathan Hodgson, Tenors Matthew Curran, Bass

15 Minute Intermission

A l m a R ede m p tor is M at er ............. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) A ve M a r is St ell a.......................................................................... Sances

Julianna Emanski & Elizabeth Johnson Knight V u l ner a st i C or M e um................................................................ Sances

Doug Dodson & Bille Bruley R egin a C a eli (a8).......................................................................... Victoria

p ro g r a m not e s

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think of music in Rome without immediately being drawn to the work of the Sistine Chapel, an institution that is well-known for maintaining a philosophy for the “pure” performance of vocal music without instruments. The Papal choir was revered throughout Europe during the Renaissance period for authoritative expertise and performance capabilities with regard to Gregorian chant and polyphonic choral music. But the years surrounding the turn of the 17th century brought many exciting and creative developments in the composition and performance of sacred music, leading to the advent of what we now call the Baroque period.

Alongside the influential conservative practices of the Sistine Chapel, there was another creative force at work in Rome during this time. The Collegio Germanico — the

Vatican’s center for training German-speaking Roman Catholic priests — became one of the most famous music institutions in Europe.

Though the primary goal of the seminary was rooted in the training of clergy, a sequence of significant music directors led to the dramatic growth of the music program’s reputation. In 1574, the college relocated to the Palazzi di Sant’Apollinare in Rome where they also gained leadership of the adjoining Sant’Apollinare church. When they aligned with this church there became an obvious increase in their desire to heighten the role of music in worship. In 1575, the famous Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria took over as the maestro di cappella (choirmaster) at the Collegio Germanico. Victoria had come to Rome in 1565 as a paying student and was first employed as a singer and organist, but took up the choirmaster post in 1575 after his ordination to the priesthood. From here forward,

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Collegio Germanico founded under Pope Julius III (St. Ignatius Loyola was a founder)

St. Ignatius established schools of philosophy and theology at the C.G.

Palestrina enrolls as a chorister at the Sistine Chapel Choir

especially the next 100 years, this position would become one of the most prestigious music positions in all of Rome.

The splendour and majesty of the worship as well as the music executed by the students under the Spaniard Tomás Luis de Victoria, and his successor Annibale Stabile and other celebrated masters (Annibale Orgas, Lorenzo Ratti, Giacomo Carissimi, Ottavio Pittoni, and others) constantly drew large crowds to the church.

Victoria’s pioneering settings of the Vespers psalms and Marian antiphons for two choirs, some written while at the college, were just the beginning of an ever increasing repertory of Roman music for two or more choirs written for use on major feast days.

This was the beginning of an exciting time for Roman sacred music, with a large increase in opportunities for composers, singers, and instrumentalists. Victoria contributed through both composition and the scope of performance practice, bringing with him the Spanish practices of extravagant religious display and the infusion of instruments into traditional choral music.

We know from several sources that instruments were being used in proliferation at the Collegio Germanico. Payment records indicate that the numbers and types of musicians hired significantly increased during the 1580’s. This was especially true on feast days and points to a growing affinity for the use of instruments to amplify the splendour and majesty of sacred music. While we know the overall numbers of singers and instrumentalists, there is a lack of concrete notations as to the exact use of instruments, except for the inscription of instrument names in extant vocal scores. This enforces strong circumstantial evidence for appropriate performing forces, particularly for instrumental participation in large-scale sacred compositions.

Musically, composers began to develop the more forward-looking aspects of the late Renaissance into a new and flexible medium which could respond equally to the demands of large and small scale forces, while remaining rooted in a solid contrapuntal base. We know that the presence of portative organs was growing, as was their use in accompanying singers. As one source describes, “one must

1574

1575

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C.G. relocated to the Palazzi di Sant’Apollinare

C.G. gained leadership of the adjoining Sant’ Apollinare church

Palestrina dies, but his influence at the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica remains for hundreds of years

Tomás Luis de Victoria becomes choirmaster

not be surprised [to] find over two hundred of them in Rome, as opposed to Paris where one could scarcely find two of the same pitch.�

The portative played a particularly critical role in the accompaniment of small-scale sacred motets as they became more prominently employed in worship services of all types.

The first decades of the 17th century also saw the publication of sacred vocal music designated for cappella i musica instrumenta (choir and musical instruments). The fact that they published no instrumental parts suggests that the instruments replaced or doubled some of the voices. A few of the leading composers to publish with this designation were two music directors from the Collegio Germanico, Agostino Agazzari (1602-1603) and Annibale Orgas (1613-1619). The preface of Agazzari’s 1609 publication of psalms explicitly describes the uso di Roma (use in Rome), and discusses that there was more variety in the performance of Roman liturgical music than is commonly believed. Instrumental musicians of the day were likely expected to play from a vocal part and improvise additional parts. This all connects very well to a growing triumphalism

among the Jesuits and a desire to express their faith in a majestic manner.

Rome was not simply a stronghold of traditionalism, as we often associate with the work of Palestrina and the Sistine Chapel. Outside the Vatican, there was no rigid adherence to the idea of unaccompanied polyphony since instruments were assuming an increasingly essential role in church music. Music in Rome was doubtlessly more varied and colorful than is often imagined, ranging from large-scale works with an orchestra of string and wind instruments to small-scale solo works with continuo accompaniment.

The scope of this program traces the evolution of musical trends at the Collegio Germanico and the manner by which they began to permeate sacred music across Europe. From Gregorian chant to Renaissance polyphony in its pure form, to grand-scale masterworks and intimate sacred duets, this repertoire illuminates the breathtaking depth of creativity born during this golden age of church music. — Program notes are heavily indebted to sources referenced on final page

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Giovanni Felice Sances enrolls at C.G. as a choir boy, until leaving Rome for further study in 1618

Carissimi begins his tenure as music director, which lasts until his death in 1674

Charpentier comes to Rome and encounters the C.G. and Carissimi

De u s i n a dj u t or i um Psalm 69:2 This chant is a traditional beginning to the evening Compline service, a service which represents the Church’s last prayer of the day. Compline embraces the experience of the whole day which has passed and, at the same time, the experience of sleep, the abandonment of self to to unconsciousness, which is, for us, a daily anticipation of death, of the passage of this life to the life which is to come. (Burke, Ignatius Press) Followed by the Dixit Dominus, this sequence is similar to what one might have heard at a Vespers service in Rome during the 17th century.

Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.

Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.

O Lord, make speed to save me.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, World without end, Amen. Alleluia.

Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper Et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Alleluia.

Di x i t D om i n us Psalm 110 Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) Charpentier composed “Dixit Dominus” around 1688, after he began working for Saint-Jacques, a Jesuit church in Paris. The voicing of this composition with three soloists — haute-contre tenor (a high tenor), tenor, and bass — is consistent with many other works he wrote for the monastic communities. Liturgically, Dixit Dominus represents one of the major Vesper psalms and is typically sung at the beginning of the service.

The instrumental prelude dates from sometime in the 1690s. Though the exact date is ambiguous it clearly followed the initial composition and belongs to a set of Preludes that pair with other Vesper psalms. There are many hypotheses as to the significance and function of these Preludes. They may have been a liturgical introduction and then remained silent while the choir sang the remainder of the piece, but there is evidence to suggest the instruments would continue playing with the choir. At the end of the Prelude in the manu-

script, Charpentier has marked “go to the Dixit Dominus,” as to suggest that they would continue playing.

This, along with instrumental assignments written in the vocal scores, suggests that this work could likely be performed in two different versions: one vocal, and the other with instruments doubling the vocal parts throughout. Since Charpentier spent time at the Collegio Germanico in Rome and studied with Giacomo Carissimi from 1667-1669, it is not surprising that a performance with instruments would materialize from Charpentier’s pen. This visceral musical account uses a great deal of text painting; from the initial pounding down of our enemies into a footstool with the text “scabellum pedum tuorum” to the scattering of skulls at the text “conquasabit capita in terra multorum.”

Dixit Dominus Domino meo:

The Lord said unto my Lord:

Sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum.

Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus ex Sion:

Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.

The rod of your power the Lord shall send forth from Zion: rule thou in the midst of your enemies.

The power to rule is with you on the day of your strength, in the splendor of the holy ones: I have begotten you from the womb before the rising of the day-star.

The Lord has sworn an oath, and will not repent of it: you are a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedech.

The Lord at your right hand destroys kings on the day of his wrath.

He shall judge among the heathen, he shall pile up ruins, and scatter skulls on many lands.

He shall drink of the torrent in his way, therefore he shall lift up his head.

dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum.

Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae, in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te.

Juravit Dominus, et non poenitebit eum, tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech.

Dominus a dextris tuis, confregit in die irae suae reges.

Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: conquasabit capita in terra multorum.

De torrente in via bibet, propterea exaltabit caput.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper.

Et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, And for generations of generations. Amen.

Ave R e gi n a c a el or um Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) As mentioned in the opening program notes, Victoria was actively combining instruments with voices to create a new, majestic sound in worship at Sant’Apollinare. The instrumental arrangement created here aims to enhance the text, much as we predict Victoria would have done himself.

The Ave Regina Caelorum is one of the four most well-known Marian antiphons — along with the Salve Regina, Alma Redemptoris Mater, and Regina Caeli. These antiphons originated as responsory chant and were used liturgically at the end of daily services, most commonly at the conclusion of evening services like Vespers and Compline.

Ave, Regina caelorum, Ave, Domina Angelorum: Salve, radix sancta, Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Hail, Queen of Heaven, Hail, Mistress of Angels Hail, holy root, From which the light for the world has risen.

Gaude, gaude, gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa, Vale, valde decora, Et pro nobis Christum exora.

Rejoice, rejoice glorious one, Beautiful above all others, Farewell, most gracious, And pray for us to Christ.

S a lv e R egin a Tomås Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) Salve Regina is the Marian antiphon that was formerly sung at Vespers during the Pentecost season. Since 1955, however, it occurs at the conclusion of the hour of Compline. It was first composed during the Middle Ages as a processional chant, and the music as we know it today likely dates back to the 11th century. This setting by Victoria is composed in a very conservative style. He begins with a very typical chant incipit (a small introduction from the chant melody) before the full choir begins singing and continues with modest and subdued writing throughout. Musically, this piece compares more with Palestrina’s writing than the evocative and lively double-choir antiphons heard at the beginning and end of our program.

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae, Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve!

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae, Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes, In hac lacrimarum valle.

Eja ergo, Advocata nostra, Illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.

Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, Nobis post hoc exilium ostende, O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, Queen, mother of mercy, Our life, our sweetness, and our hope, hail!

To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee we send up our sighs, groaning and weeping, In this valley of tears.

Hasten therefore, our Advocate, And turn your merciful eyes toward us.

And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb, after this exile.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

O d u l c i s si mum M a r i a e nom e n Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674) Giacomo Carissimi held the longest tenure of any maestro di cappella at the Collegio Germanico, and served the institution through the height of its musical prominence. It must have indeed been a grand position, as Carissimi turned down an offer to succeed Claudio Monteverdi as the director at St. Mark’s in Venice, one of the other very prestigious positions in Europe at the time. While he is known mostly for developing the oratorio, he also contributed some exquisite sacred compositions on a smaller scale. This sacred motet is a prime example of Carissimi’s facility with writing for the solo voice. The composition of smaller sacred motets was quite fashionable at this time and pieces like this were used frequently in Vespers services during Carissimi’s tenure.

O dulcissimum Mariae nomen, nomen vere sanctissimum, O nomen gratiae, semper cogitandum, O solatium animarum, nomen venerandum, O nomen caelicum, et vere angelicum, Resonent ergo in ore omnium.

O Maria, mater pia, nos defende in hac via, Nos tuere, nos guberna, duc nos tecum ad superna.

O sweetest name of Mary, name that is truly holy, O name of grace, always to be thought upon, O comfort our souls, honored name, O heavenly name, and truly angelic, Sound then in the mouths of all.

O Mary, loving mother, defend us on the way, Protect us, guide us, lead us with you to the heavenly home.

M i s s a S a nc ta M a r i a M ag da l e n a e Giovanni Felice Sances (1600-1679) Giovanni Felice Sances was a ground-breaking composer of early cantata and aria forms. He was born in Rome around 1600 and enrolled as a boy chorister at the Collegio Germanico in 1609, where he received his early training.

After leaving the CG and developing his reputation as a composer and virtuoso tenor, Sances was recruited to the Habsburg court in Austria, which he would serve for over forty years. His service began as a tenor, then assistant chapel master, and eventually imperial chapel master. As imperial chapel master, Sances received commissions for large scale ceremonial works or works for major events at the court. He likely wrote this Mass for the Feast of Mary Magdalene on July 22, 1665 — a day that seems not to have been marked by particularly lavish celebrations in Vienna until Emperor Leopold I’s marriage to Princes Eleonore Magdalena Theresia — when the date was granted significance as the empress’s nameday.

Though the scoring of the work is grand (seven voices, six strings, two cornetti, and four trombones) it was not particularly unusual for Masses from the imperial chapel in the second half of the seventeenth century.

Not surprisingly, there is no record of a performance of the work, either in Vienna or at Liechtenstein’s court.

This will be only the second performance of the work in North America since its composition.

K y r ie

Kyrie eleison.

Christe eleison.

Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Gl or i a

Gloria in excelsis Deo, Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.

Laudamus te, benedicimus te, Adoramus te, glorificamus te, Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris,

Glory be to God on high, And on earth peace, good will towards men.

We praise thee, we bless thee, Ae worship thee, we glorify thee, We give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, receive our prayer.

Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.

Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus.

Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, Cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris.

Amen.

Thou that takest away the sins of the world, Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy. Thou only art the Lord.

Thou only art most high, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

C r ed o

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero.

Genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus, et sepultus est. Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum scripturas. Et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris.

Et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis.

Et in Spiritum sanctum Dominum, et vivificantem, qui ex Patre, Filioque procedit.

Qui cum Patre, et Filio simul adoratur, et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per Prophetas. Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, light from light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made.

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, and was buried.

And the third day he rose again, according to the scriptures. And he ascended into heaven, he sitteth at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And [I believe in] the Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and Son. Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke through the Prophets. And [I believe] in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

S a n c t u s & Be n edic t u s

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua.

Osanna in excelsis.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Osanna in excelsis.

Agn u s Dei

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

A l m a R e de m p tor i s M at er Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) Palestrina was in Rome for the majority of his life, first as a singer in the Cappella Sistina and later as director of music at both the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He was both prolific and meticulous, composing much of his music in what is now considered to be very standard and perfectly constructed 16th-century polyphony. Beyond construction, he was a master at creating graceful, sweeping melodic lines and sensitive treatment of dissonances. The “Alma redemptoris mater” is a lovely piece of very simple, hymn-like structure, with very subtle points of imitation.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, Quae pervia caeli porta manes, et stella maris, Succurre cadenti, surgere qui curat populo.

Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem: Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud Ave, Peccatorum miserere.

Loving Mother of the Redeemer, Who remains the accessible gateway of heaven, and star of the sea, Give aid to a falling people that strives to rise.

O thou who begot the Holy Creator, while all nature marveled: Virgin before and after, Receiving that “Ave” from the mouth of Gabriel, Have mercy on sinners.

Ave M a r i s S t e l l a Giovanni Felice Sances (1600-1679) As mentioned earlier, Sances was a composer developing new trends during his time. He was one of the first composers to publish works titled “cantata” and was also among the earliest (along wth Claudio Monteverdi) to use the descending tetrachord (known more commonly as ground bass), other ostinato bass lines, and was probably the first to write a vocal composition over the descending chromatic tetrachord (the “Crucifixus” from J.S. Bach’s B Minor Mass is possibly the most familiar). Although Sances developed grand-scale works later in his career, like the Missa performed earlier on this program, he was even more prolific in his composition of small scale motets for two, three, and four voices, and has an undeniable gift as a melodist. Sances composed hundreds of motets based on text from the Song of Songs, Psalms, texts culled from the liturgy, and others from Catholic prayer books. Given the intense devotion expressed by his patron (Ferdinand III) to the Virgin Mary, it is not surprising that one-third of Sances’ motets address Marian themes.

The two following duets by Sances are written with incredible attention to structural design and represent two very different styles of writing. Ave Maris Stella is composed with in a ritornello style with alternating voice and instrument passages. The bass line heard in the first 12 measures is used for each of the five ritornelli with the violins, though the violins play new music each time responding to the text. After three verses of alternations between voices and violins, Sances combines them at the central portion of this text, “Monstra te esse matrem sumat per te preces.” This is a critical component to the prayer, because it addresses the Blessed Mary as the vessel of our prayers. The attention to construction and symmetry is all a symbol of praise and glory to God.

Ave, maris stella, Dei Mater alma, Atque semper Virgo, Felix caeli porta.

Sumens illud Ave Gabrielis ore, Funda nos in pace, mutans Evae nomen.

Solve vincla reis, profer lumen caecis, Mala nostra pelle, bona cuncta posce Monstra te esse matrem sumat per te preces, Qui pro nobis natus tulit esse tuus.

Virgo singularis, inter omnes mitis, Nos culpis solutos, mites fac et castos.

Vitam praesta puram, iter para tutum, Ut videntes Jesum, semper collaetemur.

Sit laus Deo Patri, summo Christo decus Spiritui Sancto, tribus honor unus. Amen.

Hail, star of the sea, loving Mother of God, And also always a virgin, blissful portal of heaven.

Receiving that “Ave” from Gabriel’s mouth, Confirm us in peace, Reversing the name of “Eva.” Break the chains of sinners, bring light to the blind, Drive away our evils, ask for all good things.

Show thyself to be a mother, that, through thee, he may accept our prayers, He who, born for us, chose to be your son.

O unique virgin, meek above all others, Make us, absolved from our faults, gentle and chaste.

Keep life pure, make the journey safe, So that, seeing Jesus, we may always rejoice together.

Let there be praise to God the Father, glory to Christ in the highest, To the Holy Spirit, one honor to all three. Amen.

V u l n er a s t i c or m e um Giovanni Felice Sances (1600-1679) The Vulnerasti Cor Meum represents a very different style and uses quite a bit more text painting. The first section is free form and uses virtuosic vocal expressions to deliver the text. A “weeping” melodic gesture is used at the beginning on the word “vulnerasti,” which means “wounded.” Finally, a mellow concluding section is built on a lovely ground bass, above which the two “sponsa” voices gracefully weave and dance together in a sensuous lullaby as they alternate in singing “Come from Libanus, my spouse.”

Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea, sponsa: vulnerasti cor meum In uno oculorum tuorum, et in uno crine colli tui.

Quam pulchrae sunt mammae tuae soror mea sponsa, Pulchriora sunt ubera tua vino et odor unguentorum tuorum super omnia aromata.

Veni de Libano sponsa, veni de Libano: veni coronaberis.

You have wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse: you have wounded my heart With one of thine eyes, with one hair of thy neck.

How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse, Thy breasts are more beautiful than wine, and the sweet smell of thy ointments above all aromatic spices.

Come from Libanus, my spouse, come from Libanus, come: thou shalt be crowned.

R e gi n a C a el i Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) We close our program with another of Victoria’s majestic Marian antiphons, “Regina Caeli.” The piece begins with a counterpoint centered on the word “laetare,” which means, “rejoice,” and the fast notes sung in alternation between each voice create a flurry of rejoicing. Victoria concludes the first half of the piece with an antiphonal “Alleluia,” alternating between the choirs in a magnificent crescendo of praise — which returns again at the conclusion.

Regina coeli laetare, Alleluia.

Quia quem meruisti portare, Alleluia.

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia.

Ora pro nobis Deum. Alleluia.

Queen of heaven, rejoice, Alleluia.

For he whom you were worthy to bear, Alleluia, Has risen as he said, Alleluia.

Pray for us to God, Alleluia.

The Duke Vespers Ensemble

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duke

vesper s

Ensemble is an active chamber choir based at Duke University Chapel in Durham, North Carolina. Consisting of approximately twenty members from the Duke and Triangle communities, the choir is directed by Dr. Brian A. Schmidt. The Vespers Ensemble specializes in Renaissance and early Baroque choral works, including pieces by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Dietrich Buxtehude, and William Byrd. This early music repertoire is complemented by 19th century and modern works in a similar style by composers such as Herbert Howells, Knut Nystedt, and Arvo Pärt.

The group leads worship services every Thursday of the academic year at 5:15 pm.

This 45-minute candlelight service consists of

scripture readings, prayers, and sacred music, and is held in the intimate setting of the chancel. The Vespers Ensemble also participates in special services throughout the year, including a popular All-Hallows Eve Service, which is held in almost total darkness. All services are available online for live streaming and archived viewing at youtube.com/dukechapel.

The Vespers Ensemble also performs several concerts during the academic year, on Duke’s campus and in the community. Recent concerts include a collaborative presentation with the department of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies, featuring the music and art of the Sistine Chapel and an appearance at Boston Early Music Festival in June of 2013.

The choir also sings abroad, most recently on a tour to Eastern Europe.

Conductor

Alto

Bass

br i a n a . sc h m id t

br igid bu r r o u gh s

da nn y de v e au

er ic a d un k l e

se t h g a r r ep y

Chapel Organist

m e g a n f or k

m ik e lu z i n sk i

c hr i s topher j ac ob son

r u t h a n f r ee se

m ic h a el ly l e

m er edi t h h aw l e y

de v i n mc c a r t h y

a nn a showa lt er

s t ephe n p y sn ik

Accompanist s a r a h ber e z a

Tenor Soprano

i s a ac c ol l i n s

sa m a nth a a rten

jon at h a n dav id

a li c a r nes

ji a n gh a i ho

m ac k e nz ie c r a m bl i t

c l e m e n t jo u ber t

r ebek a h gi v e n s

r y a n k o t er

ly di a gr ee n e g a br iel l e r u ssi n s t eph a n ie w e s t e n

Singers wishing to join The Duke Vespers Ensemble next fall may call 919-684-3898.

Washington Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble

C

onsider ed one of

the premiere ensembles of its kind in North America, the Washington Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble (WCSE), directed

by Michael Holmes, consists of historic brass instrument specialists based in Washington D.C. Assemblages of cornetts (curved hybrid brass/woodwind instruments) and sackbuts (early trombones) comprised what was the standard brass ensemble of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras in Western music.

WCSE’s membership has modified and grown considerably since its inception in 1997, performing extensively, and in high demand, in in the Eastern U.S. with several of the more prominent historic vocal and instrumental groups in the American early music community. Its repertoire is vast, exploring nearly every possible style period and region where early brass sources were represented, including music from the major Italian, German, Polish, Bohemian, Moravian, Scandinavian, Spainish, and English courts, as well as the Americas.

In the summer of 2001, WCSE produced its first recording of music by Giovanni Ga-

brieli and Heinrich Schütz. In August 2003, they were invited to be the featured ensemble at the Historic Brass Society Festival at Yale University (New Haven, CT). WCSE was also featured in the 2004 CD recording Mass in Honor of the Immaculate Conception in music by Monteverdi, Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Marenzio, and Ugolini, in collaboration with the choir of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. Another one of their recordings of a canzona

by Claudio Merulo circulated widely to numerous North American universities in 2005 as part of the anthology for Craig Wright and Brian Simms’s music history textbook Music in Western Civilization.

WCSE was a featured performing ensemble at the 2014 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington D.C. The ensemble continues to provide their unique, mellifluous, and historically informed sound for numerous choirs who want to enrich their programming through the glorious forgotten practice of colla parte (doubling the choral parts) or providing Stadtpfeiffer (town piper) fanfares and flourishes for ceremonial occasions.

Director

Tenor Sackbut

Bass Sackbut

m ic h a el hol m e s

b a r r y b o c a n er

dav id se a r l e

he n r y va n e n ge n

Cornetto m ic h a el hol m e s el i s a k oehl er

a a r on moat s

earlybrassdc.org facebook.com/washingtoncornett

Mallarmé Chamber Players Period Instrument Orchestra

T

he m a ll a r mé ch a mber

Players are a flexible ensemble of professional musicians based in Durham, North Carolina, whose mission is to enrich the lives of the community through outstanding chamber music performance. The ensemble distinguishes itself in the community by its innovative educational programs, its commitment to creative collaboration with other organizations, its creation of significant new work and its dedication to serve a diverse population.

Artistic Director s u z a nn e r o u sso

Created in 1984 by musicians Jane Hawkins and Anna Ludwig Wilson working with poet and arts administrator Margaret DeMott, the ensemble’s name comes from Stéphane Mallarmé, the 19th-century French poet and philosopher who believed that true art is created through a unity of music, dance, literature and the visual arts. In keeping with their namesake, Mallarmé performances are often interdisciplinary and have been praised by critics and audiences as innovative, eclectic and of the highest artistic quality.

2nd Violins

Cello

f ion a h u ghe s

s t eph a n ie v i a l

a l l i son w il l e t

1st Violins

joh n pr u e t t

el i z a be t h f iel d

Concert Master

Violone a nn e t r o u t

Viola

pe t er l ek x

joe y o ’d onn el l

a n dy b onn er

s u z a nn e r o u sso

mallarmemusic.org

B r i a n A . S c h m idt Conductor, Duke Vespers Ensemble Brian A. Schmidt is Assistant Conductor and Administrative Coordinator of Chapel Music at Duke University in Durham, NC, where he serves as conductor of the Duke Vespers Ensemble and Duke Divinity School Choir. He is also the Artistic Director of the South Dakota Chorale, a professional chorus organization in Sioux Falls, SD. The Duke Vespers Ensemble is an auditioned choir consisting of 20 volunteer singers.

With the Duke Vespers Ensemble, Schmidt leads a weekly Choral Vespers service and monthly Anglican Evensong with Chapel Organist Christopher Jacobson. Outside of their primary service work, this ensemble presents primarily early music concerts ranging from Baroque masterworks with period instruments to various Renaissance Mass and Requiem settings, and performances at Boston Early Music Festival in 2013 and 2015.

As founder and Artistic Director of the SD Chorale, he manages a roster of professional singers from around the United States. His leadership has guided the ensemble to rapid growth and recognition, as well as the release of two commercial albums in collaboration with Grammy award-winning producer, Blanton Alspaugh, and the signing of an international recording contract in 2014 with PENTATONE, a Dutch classical label. He also received the prestigious invitation to conduct the SD Chorale at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brian was selected by ACDA to represent America in the International Conductor Exchange Program with Sweden, resulting in study and guest conducting opportunities in Sweden during the fall of 2015. He was previously the founder and Artistic Director of the Dakota Men’s Ensemble, which also appeared at national, regional, and state ACDA conventions.

Brian graduated from the University of North Texas, where he completed MM and DMA degrees under Jerry McCoy and Richard Sparks, along with early music studies under Lyle Nordstrom and Lenora McCroskey.

C hr i s topher J ac ob s on Continuo Artist, Duke University Chapel Organist Christopher Jacobson is the Duke University Chapel Organist and organist at the Duke Divinity School. Before assuming his position, he served as Associate Organist at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina, and Assistant Organist at Washington National Cathedral where he assisted in the direction of the cathedral music program and training of the cathedral choirs.

Christopher has presented organ recitals across North America, Europe, and Australia. In addition to an active interest in organ music of 19th- and 20th-century France, he has performed the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach on several occasions across the United States. He has also accompanied choirs in residencies and tours in the United States and Europe, and is an active continuo artist having appeared with early music ensemble Three Notch’d Road and the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra.

He has won prizes in numerous organ competitions, including the National Young Artist Competition in Organ Performance (American Guild of Organists), the Miami International Organ Competition, and the John R. Rodland Competition in Church Music.

Christopher holds a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and the Sacred Music Diploma from the Eastman School of Music as well as a Bachelor of Music degree with distinction in Organ Performance from St. Olaf College. In addition, he holds the Associate diploma (AAGO) from the American Guild of Organists. His teachers have included David Higgs, William Porter, John Ferguson, and Catherine Rodland. Christopher is a graduate of Woodberry Forest and the American Boychoir School where he was a treble chorister under James Litton.

Featured Soloists J u l i a nna E m a nsk i Soprano

“Simply to die for”, “ absolutely exquisite”, and “the most memorable of the featured soloists”, all describe the sophisticated and expressive singing that soprano, Julianna Emanski, brings to the concert stage. Ms. Emanski’s musical passions has led to her specialization in classical and baroque repertoire. Ms. Emanski currently performs with Queen City Musicians, Dallas Bach Society, South Dakota Chorale, Tennessee Chamber Chorus, Mountainside Baroque, and has sung on professional recordings of the Dallas Bach Society, South Dakota Chorale, and Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls). She currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her beloved 25-year-old cockatiel, Walter T. Bird. She is attending the University of North Texas for a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy, studying voice with Stephen Morscheck. For more information, please visit juliannaemanski.com.

l au r a d awa lt Soprano

Laura Dawalt is a frequent performer of recital, oratorio and opera repertoire. She particularly enjoys the collaboration of chamber music and performs with a variety of ensembles including Amici Music, and the Imaginary Friends Ensemble, which she co-founded. Laura holds degrees from Wheaton College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she completed her MM and DMA degrees under Dr. Robert Bracey. Her dissertation examined the vocal works of Louise Talma and has been published in French in the journal La Porche. She is currently on faculty at Greensboro College.

D oug D od s on Countertenor

Hailed as a “vivid countertenor” (The Wall Street Journal) with a voice that is “unusually sparkling” (The Kansas City Star), Douglas Dodson is making his mark on opera and concert stages in repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary.

Recent engagements include solo appearances with The Handel & Haydn Society, Music at Marsh Chapel (Boston), and The Henry Purcell Society of Boston. Notable past engagements include The United Way in the American premiere of Death and the Powers (Chicago Opera Theatre); Ottone in L’ incoronazione di Poppea (Aldeburgh Festival, Sussex, UK); and alto and soprano II soloist in Bach’s Mass in b minor (Musica Sacra, Cambridge, MA).

El i z a be t h Joh ns on K night Mezzo Soprano

Elizabeth has sung a wide range of choral and solo repertoire, appearing with the Carmel Bach Festival, Louisiana Opera, Masterwork Chorus, Tennessee Chamber Chorus, Bach Festival of Central Florida, North Central Louisiana Masterworks, Paducah Symphony, Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Singers, Ars Lyrica, Project Eve, Vox Humana, and the South Dakota Chorale. She has recorded for Gothic, Naxos, and Pentatone Classics. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of North Texas (DMA), Indiana University (MM), and the University of Mississippi (BM). She has held teaching positions at the University of North Texas, University of Louisiana, Monroe and Murray State University, and is currently on the voice faculty at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. For more information, please visit lizknightmezzo.com.

Featured Soloists bill e bru l e y

Tenor

Bille Bruley, tenor, hails from Montgomery, Texas and is currently pursuing Graduate Studies in Opera Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he is an Associate Instructor of Voice. He completed his studies in Vocal Performance at Baylor University in 2014. Recently, Bille was named First Place Winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions in Houston, TX, and was Second Place Winner at the MONC Gulf Coast Regional Finals. Mr. Bruley has participated in summer training and young artist programs, and will be returning to Central City Opera as an Apprentice Artist for their 2015 season. He will be singing The Tempter in Britten’s The Prodigal Son, Gastone in Verdi’s La Traviata, and covering Sancho in Leigh’s Man of La Mancha. He has been accepted to many prestigious programs including The Glimmerglass Festival, Central City Opera, Opera Saratoga, and Opera in the Ozarks, to name a few. Bruley is a student of Carol Vaness.

n at h a n hod g s on

Tenor

Nathan Hodgson is a recent graduate of the University of North Texas in Denton. During his time at UNT, Nathan was involved with the Chamber Choir and also the world-renowned A Cappella Choir, touring to South Korea and performing at the 2013 ACDA National Conference in Dallas, Texas. Nathan also performed with the UNT Collegium Singers including performances at Boston Early Music Festival. Nathan has performed in choral ensembles as a soloist and chorister in the Dallas-Fort Worth area including Orpheus Chamber Singers, Dallas Bach Society, Denton Bach Society, and Vox Humana.

Recently, Nathan performed with the UNT Pierrot Chamber Ensemble for the premiere of a new composition, L’après-midi d’un Schoenberg by Richard Brooks, at UNT and at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City.

m at t he w c u r r a n Bass

Bass Matthew Curran enjoys a varied career singing opera, concert, recital and choral music. Favorite roles include Sarastro, Daland, Frère Laurent, Figaro, Colline, Ferrando, Oroveso, and Filippo. Notable opera companies he has sung with include Zürich, Seattle, Atlanta, Hawaii, New York City Opera, New Jersey, Grand Rapids, and Roanoke, among others. Concert favorites include the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s 9th, the Mozart and Verdi Requiems, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, and more. He has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the St. Louis, Jacksonville, and Huntsville Symphonies, among others.

Sources for Program Notes Barbieri, Patrizio. “On a Continuo Organ Part Attributed to Palestrina.” Early Music: 587-605.

Dixon, Graham. “Roman Church Music: The Place of Instruments after 1600.” The Galpin Society Journal: 51 Lionnet, Jean. “The Borghese Family And Music During The First Half Of The Seventeenth Century.” Music and Letters: 519-29.

O’regan, Noel. “Victoria, Soto and the Spanish Archconfraternity of the Resurrection in Rome.” Early Music: 279-95. ed. Saunders, Steven. “Giovanni Felice Sances: Motetti a una, due, tre, e quattro voci (1638).” Recent Researches of the Baroque Era, A-R Editions. ed. Saunders, Steven and David Hauser. “Giovanni Felice Sances: Missa Sancta Maria Magdalenae.” Web Library of Seventeenth Century Music.