Logan Emlet

Agnus Dei, from Mass for Four Voices

William Byrd
1592
William Byrds Agnus Dei, from Mass for Four Voices comes from the
English Renaissance period. Composed in 1592, this text comes from the
Ordinary of the Catholic Mass. This text was set multiple times by Byrd, as
well as by Medieval composers before him (such as Palestrina), and would
continue to be set to music centuries later by future composers. Sung in
Latin, the text is repeated three times, with the choir asking Christ for mercy,
finally ending with the phrase dona nobis pacem (grant us peace).
Byrds arrangement of this text serves to gradually increase the
tension and thickness of texture throughout the piece. The piece begins with
short, imitative motifs in the soprano and alto voices, creating a simple
polyphony. On the second repeat of the text, the tenor enters, increasing the
complexity and length of the imitative polyphonic motifs. Byrd then adds the
bass voice, and continues to increase the length and overlap of phrases
driving towards the final cadence. All four voices singing the final syllable of
the word pacem together, ending the piece in a moment of homophony
and peace.
This piece speaks to me as a future choral director because of the
simplicity and beauty in Byrds arrangement and setting of the text. Byrd
weaves the four voices together marvelously, giving each voice an
independent melody that at the same time functions harmoniously with the
other voices. To me, this musical setting imparts meaning to the text, where
we are asking Christ for mercy as individuals, but at the same time, all of
humanity is asking for the same thing with us. As the music progresses, the
requests for mercy become more urgent and passionate, until everyone
winds up together at the cadence asking for the simplest and at the same
time most complex request peace.
[302 words]

Logan Emlet

Tu se morta from Orfeo

Claudio Monteverdi
1607
Orfeo, composed by Claudio Monteverdi near the beginning of the
Baroque era, is known today as having been the first great opera. The opera
is a musical telling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus (Orfeo). Orpheuss
bride, Eurydice, is bit by a snake and dies. Orpheus travels to the underworld
to rescue his bride, where Pluto agrees to release Eurydice on the condition
that Orpheus not look behind him to see if she is following. Orpheus is
eventually tempted by doubt, and looks back only to see Eurydice disappear.
Tu se morta is a recitative in which Orfeo learns of Eurydices death,
and vows to save her from the underworld. The recitative opens with a
sustained chord in the accompaniment, and a suspended, dissonant
utterance of the phrase: Tu se morta (You are dead) from Orfeo. The text
is delivered in a rhythm similar to spoken text, a key characteristic of
recitative. However, Monteverdi is able to use music to elevate the emotion
higher than that of spoken word alone, using word painting to enhance the
text. For example, the word abissi (abysses) is sung on a low note, while
the word stele (stars) is sung on a higher pitch.
As a singer, Monteverdis Orfeo is of particular interest to me, as it
sparked the creation of the genre that I study most. I chose to look at Tu se
morta in particular because of the fact that it is a recitative. The creation of
recitative is what allowed the genre of opera to come into existence. Without
this new technique developed by Monteverdi in Orfeo, the great operas of
Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Wagner, Strauss, Britten and many others
may not have come into creation.
[287 words]