Hieronymus Praetorius Alamire
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H I E R O N Y M U S P R A E T O R I U S Motets in 8, 10, 12, 16 & 20 Parts A L A M I R E His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts Stephen Farr ORGAN DAVID SKINNER HIERONYMUS PRAETORIUS (1560–1629) DISC ONE DISC TWO Motets in 8, 10, 12, 16 & 20 Parts 1. Dixit Dominus a12 [5:49] 1. Laudate Dominum a8 [4:36] Alamire 2. Nunc dimittis a8 [7:34] 2. Sanctus summum [4:28] His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts Stephen Farr, organ 3. Sequentia: Grates nunc omnes [8:03] 3. Agnus Dei summum [5:34] David Skinner 4. Angelus ad pastores ait a12 [5:59] 4. Iubilate Deo a12 [4:59] 5. Ecce Dominus veniet a8 [4:52] 5. Ecce quam bonum a8 [4:06] 6. Decantabat populus a20 [5:44] 6. Levavi oculos meos a10 [5:28] 7. Kyrie summum [9:12] 7. Sequentia: Victimae paschali laudes [7:47] 8. Gloria summum [10:29] 8. Exultate iusti a16 [5:36] Total playing time [57:46] Total playing time [42:39] Hieronymus Praetorius in the Johanneum Latin school. After beginning organ instruction with his father, Jacob Praetorius I At the beginning of the seventeenth century, (c. 1540–1586), he studied with Hinrich thor Hieronymus Praetorius (1560–1629) of Molen, the Petrikirche organist and in 1574 Hamburg stood pre-eminent among musicians was sent by the elders of the Jacobikirche to in north Germany. He was the first significant Cologne for two years of further study with figure in the city’s early music history, followed Albin Walran. Praetorius first became organist by other distinguished composers such as at the Erfurt Predigerkirche from 1580 to Heinrich Scheidemann (1595–1663), Thomas 1582, when he returned to Hamburg to become Selle (1599–1663), Matthias Weckmann assistant organist to his father at the (1616–1674), and Christoph Bernhard Jacobikirche. Upon his father’s death in 1586, (1628–1692), and in the eighteenth century Hieronymus became first organist at the by G.P. Telemann (1681–1767) and C.P.E. Jacobikirche and also organist and church Bach (1714–1788). While organist of the recordkeeper at the nearby Gertrudenkapelle. large Jacobikirche from 1586–1629, Three of his four sons were organists and Praetorius composed some 100 Latin and composers in Hamburg, too, continuing the German motets for five to twenty voices Praetorius name into the middle of the (from one to four choirs), six masses, and seventeenth century. All composed both nine Magnificat settings for double-choir. sacred vocal and organ music, as well as These were gathered together by Praetorius occasional motets for prominent Hamburg and published in a five-volume edition of citizens and family members. eight partbooks and optional continuo part under the title Opus musicum I–V between Together with Michael Praetorius (1571–1621), 1599 and 1625. His substantial body of unrelated to the Hamburg family, Hieronymus organ works is preserved in the Visby Praetorius belongs to the first generation of Orgel-Tabulatur (Hamburg, 1611). Especially seventeenth-century north-German composers because of his early contributions to the of polychoral works, along with Philipp German-Venetian polychoral style, as well Dulichius (1562–1631) and Friedrich Weissensee as the quality and quantity of his works, (c. 1560–1622). All these composers knew Hieronymus Praetorius created a significant the polychoral style only from widely circulated , musical legacy becoming the first Hamburg collections of Italian sacred music, as well as musician of international renown. the works of Orlandus Lassus (1532–1594) and Jacobus Gallus (1550–1591), while the Hieronymus Praetorius: Cantiones Variae, 1618 Born in Hamburg on 10 August 1560, southern German composers most influenced Praetorius received his childhood education by the Italians, notably Hans Leo Hassler, learned the style directly from the Italian freelance players. Although the original printed much valued information from Michael in Dixit Dominus, Angelus ad pastores ait, masters Andrea (1533–1585) and Giovanni editions designate no instruments aside from Praetorius’s previously mentioned three- Iubilate Deo and Levavi oculos meos, while Gabrieli (1557–1612) in Venice. In 1596 optional basso seguente for organ and all volume Syntama Musicum, published between Decantabat populus and Exultate iusti are Hieronymus was invited to the extraordinary parts have words underlaid, documents of 1614 and 1620. Concerning performance perfectly crafted for a ‘call and response’ Gröningen organ examination which Hans the time describe instrumentation practices, practice, he does concede that some of his effect between choirs of singers and Leo Hassler (1564–1612) and Michael especially those advocated by Michael solutions might be misjudged and criticised instruments. The eight-part works have been Praetorius also attended. This was probably Praetorius in his Syntagma musicum (1619) by others who might have an entirely different allocated to solo instruments (Ecce Dominus his only personal contact with other which can be applied to most of Hieronymus’s viewpoint: ‘Every day something more, or and Ecce quam) and voices only (Nunc composers of polychoral works. works. something better may come to light’. dimittis and Laudate Dominum). The two Michael Praetorius then goes on to outline sequences and Missa Summa are for solo The five volumes of Praetorius’s Opus © 2019 F.K. Gable no fewer than twelve principal styles of organ and plainchant, providing a most fitting musicum contain all of his vocal music performance options of polychoral ‘concertati’, contrast the larger works; the selection not except for the chorale harmonizations. where multiple choirs of varying combinations only demonstrates Hieronymus’s mastery of These publications were owned by many The Music of voices and instruments perform over a the instrument but also his delicate handling north-German churches and Praetorius’s basso continuo, involving numerous of textures which the organist might freely music formed a standard part of their Hieronymus’s music has not fared well in terms combinations of voices and practically bring out from among the many colours of a choral repertoire during the entire of exposure with other polychoral masters of every instrument under the sun whether large early modern organ. Altogether we are seventeenth century. The elders of the the late Renaissance such as the Gabrielis, they be plucked, bowed or blown. Here we here provided with, for the first time on Jacobikirche, the Hamburg City Council, Hassler and others. Some of his eight-part have opted primarily for varying arrangements record, a near-complete stylistic snapshot of and other distinguished citizens financially works have relatively recently made it on to of cornetts, sackbuts and singers over a this relatively unknown northern European supported the initial publications and disc, but his largest polychoral works largely chamber organ continuo. Still, there are a master polyphonist. several of the volumes were later newly have remained silent doubtlessly owing to number of practical considerations to tackle, typeset and re-issued in Frankfurt and the required performing forces and sheer not least the sheer range of voices from low © 2019 David Skinner Antwerp. At least sixteen single motets expense of production. For this recording not bass B flat (below the stave) to top soprano were reprinted in large popular anthologies only are some of the lesser-known eight-part A, but which parts are best suited for of the time, and over 200 scribal copies works introduced, but also those for ten, twelve, instruments or voices (it is often the case The Organ at Roskilde of individual works were made from the sixteen and twenty voices. All of these have that, apart from the basso profundo of the printed editions and are listed in European been freshly edited from the various volumes bottom choir, these could be played or The organ in Roskilde Cathedral – universally library catalogues and church inventories. of Hieronymus’s Opus musicum, all published sung by either). Attention must also be paid recognised as one of the most important in Hamburg, while the organ alternatim to articulation of the text, and, most crucially, instruments of its type – has followed a Performances of Praetorius’s sacred works Sequences and the Missa Summa are heavily the overall balance of the mammoth textures. complex path to its current incarnation. were directed by the Hamburg city Cantor reliant on Klaus Beckmann’s edition of 2002 Rebuilt and modernised several times since who led the choir of boys, a few teachers, published by Schott. Given the ample scoring, Various combinations are here explored from 1554–55, when Herman Raphaelis Rodensteen and eight paid singers, often assisted by multiple forces were demanded in order the doubling of voices and instruments, or built his new instrument in the cathedral, eight city instrumentalists and a pool of adequately to realise the music. Here we have a judicious mix between the choirs, such as the organ nonetheless still retains a significant proportion of early pipework, Brystpositiv (III) Pedal Texts & Translations along with some parts of the 1554 façade. Gedackt 8’ Principal 16’ Disc One In its present form, the instrument is the Waldflöjte 2’ Octava 8’ 1. Dixit Dominus a12 Dixit Dominus Domino meo: sede a dextris meis, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Gedacktflöjte 4’ Gedackt 8’ result of a painstaking restoration and donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum. until I make thine enemies thy footstool. rebuilding undertaken between 1988 and Octava 2’ Octava 4’ Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus ex Sion: The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion: 1991 by the Danish organ-builder Marcussen, Sedecima 1’ Mixtur IV 2’ dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum. rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. advised by the organ historian Cor Edskes Regal 8’ Posaun 16’ Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus The people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in and the cathedral organist Kristian Olesen.