Jacobus Gallus
It’s quite remarkable that so much of the life of a composer with the stature of Jacobus Gallus should be shrouded in uncertainty. The year and place of his birth seem to be affirmed . . . 1550, Ribnica, Slovenia; but most of his short life is unaccounted for. His death in Prague in 1591 would give him a mere 25 years to compose 445 motets, 20 settings of the Ordinary and several books of Latin songs from Classical sources that he called ‘Moralia’.
It is said that Gallus was a Cistercian monk, although the woodcut accompanying his magnum opus, ‘Opus musicum’(1591) portrays him with a ruff collar, embroidered tunic and plenty of hair . . . not typical monastic wear. He did, however, spend plenty of time in monasteries traveling in Austria, Moravia, Bohemia and Silesia, as he wrote “to understand the muse, and meditate on the shepherd’s pipe”.
His position as chapelmaster to the Bishop of Olomouc, Stanislaus Pavlovsky in 1579 is well affirmed and for whom Gallus wrote the motet and mass, “Undique flammatis Olomucum”. In 1585 he returned to Prague for a similar position at the church of St. Jan na Brzehu, which he held until his untimely death.
Adeste Musae, maxime proles
Set for 2 choirs 4 voices each, from his “Moralia’ of 1596, with modern edition by Allen B. Skei for A-R Editions, Middleton, WI.
Jacobus Gallus "Adeste Musae, maxime proles"
ADESTE Musae, maximi proles Iouis,
laudem feracis praedicemus hortuli.
hortus salubris corpori praebet cibos
uariosque fructus saepe cultori refert,
holus suaue, multiplex herbae genus,
uuas nitentis atque fetus arborum.
non defit hortis et uoluptas maxima
multisque mixta commodis iocunditas.
aquae strepentis uitreus lambit liquor
sulcoque ductus irrigat riuus sata.
flores nitescunt discolore germine
pinguntque terram gemmeis honoribus.
apes susurro murmurant gratae leui,
cum summa florum uel nouos rores
legunt.
fecunda uitis coniuges ulmos grauat
textasue inumbrat pampinis
harundines.
opaca praebent arbores umbracula
prohibentque densis feruidum solem
comis.
aues canorae garrulos fundunt sonos
et semper auris cantibus mulcent suis.
oblectat hortus, auocat pascit tenet
animoque maesto demit angores
grauis;
membris uigorem reddit et uisus capit,
refert labori pleniorem gratiam,
tribuit colenti multiforme gaudium.
Dulces exuviae
The text is from Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ spoken by Dido, Queen of Carthage, before her suicide. Many composers have set this text including Josquin, Lassus, Mouton, Willaert, et al. For 5 voices this piece is #43 in ‘Moralia’ printed posthumously in Prague, 1596.
Jacobus Gallus "Dulces exuviae"
Dulces exuviae, dum fata deusque
sinebat,
accipite hanc animam
meque his exsolvite curis,
Vixi et quem dederat cursum fortuna
peregi,
et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit
imago.
Relics, precious while fate and the gods
allowed:
take my soul, and release me from
sorrow.
I have lived, and have run my race as
fortune let me.
Now my full spirit will voyage to the
underworld.
(Translation by Nicholas Jones)
M. super Undique flammatis – Kyrie
Missa super Undique flammatis is a parody mass based on Gallus’ motet of the same name, written for the ordination of Stanislaus Pavlovsky as Bishop of Olomouc in 1580. 7 polyphonic voices is the overall texture, expanded to 8 (2 choirs) in the “Agnus Dei”.
Jacobus Gallus 'Missa super Undique flammatis - Kyrie'
Missa super Undique flammatis – Gloria
Jacobus Gallus 'Missa super Undique flammatis - Gloria'
Missa super Undique flammatis – Credo
Jacobus Gallus 'Missa super Undique flammatis - Credo'
Missa super Undique flammatis – Sanctus
Jacobus Gallus 'Missa super Undique flammatis - Sanctus'
Missa super Undique flammatis – Agnus
Jacobus Gallus 'Missa super Undique flammatis - Agnus'
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, that takest away the sins
of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, that takest away the sins
of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, that takest away the sins
of the world, grant us peace.
Missa Transeunte Domino – Agnus
Jacobus Gallus 'Missa Transeunte Domino - Agnus'
Omnia vincit amor
Jacobus Gallus "Omnia vincit amor"
Permultos liceat cuculus
Jacobus Gallus "Permultos liceat cuculus"
Turpe sequi casum