Motet: "Miserere mei, Dei" by Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)

Описание

The staff musicians and members of the parish choir of Christ Church in Pelham, New York offer Gregorio Allegri's motet, Miserere mei, Dei for our Lenten observance in 2021.

This famous falsobordone setting of King David's renowned Psalm of penitence, Psalm 51 (Psalm 50 in the Latin Vulgate, which numbers the Psalms according to the Greek Septuagint, rather than the older Hebrew manuscripts), was composed for the evening prayer services of Holy Week in the Sistine Chapel. The manuscript for this 9-part choral setting (traditionally sung antiphonally by a five part choir and a group of four virtuosic soloists) was closely guarded in the Vatican until, as legend has it, a visit to Rome by young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart led to his transcribing the motet from his recollection of hearing it in the chapel, as he had been captivated by the performance he heard there.

The soloists for this multi-track virtual performance, which was recorded in several live recording sessions at Christ Church in Pelham, New York, are Tonna Miller-Vallés, soprano, Jann Degnan, mezzo-soprano, Douglas Purcell, tenor, and Simon Cram, bass-baritone.

The Psalm text and the traditional Anglican translation are included here for reference:

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam; et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea, et a peccato meo munda me.
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco, et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci; ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti; incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam, et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis, et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Cor mundum crea in me, Deus, et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
Ne projicias me a facie tua, et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui, et spiritu principali confirma me.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas, et impii ad te convertentur.
Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae, et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.
Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis.
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus; cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion, ut aedificentur muri Jerusalem.
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes et holocausta; tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.

Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness: according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.
Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Turn thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.
Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
O give me the comfort of thy help again: and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.
Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew thy praise.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

Text from Psalm 50, the Clementine Vulgate (4th century); Psalm 51, translated in the Book of Common Prayer (1662). Public Domain.
Music by Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652). Public Domain.
Edited by John Rutter.
Edition copyright © 1996 by Oxford University Press.
Licensed under OneLicense A-713125.

This performance copyright © 2021 by the Parish of Christ the Redeemer (Christ Church), Pelham, New York.
All Rights Reserved.