Magnificat
Originating from the Latin word for “magnify” (although originating in the Greek New Testament), the Magnificat is the name given to the words of Mary in Luke’s Gospel, beginning “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” According to the gospel, Mary, while pregnant with Jesus, visited her cousin Elisabeth, who was at the time pregnant with John the Baptist. In response to Elisabeth’s salutation Ave Maria, she spoke the words of the Magnificat.
In the Roman Rite the Magnificat is the canticle appointed to be sung at Vespers, together with a proper antiphon. The various Gregorian reciting tones or toni (given in the Liber Usualis) are chosen to agree with the mode of the antiphon, and their various terminations are likewise meant to dovetail with the opening of the antiphon's repetition; in general the numbering of the tones corresponds to the 8 modes (The 9th Tonus peregrinus is usually associated with mode I).
Anglican Evening Prayer (called “Evensong” when sung) was created by combining elements of Vespers and Compline. Composers writing in this tradition typically treat the Magnficat and the 2nd canticle Nunc dimittis (used only at Compline in the Roman rite) as a related pair.
Further discussion
Musical settings at CPDL
See Category:Evening Canticles for a list of all evening canticles on CPDL.
In Latin
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In English
(BCP translation unless otherwise stated)
In other languages
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Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above
- Nathaniel Adam — Evening Service (Tone II)
- Nathaniel Adam — Evening Service (Tone III)
- Johann Kaspar Aiblinger — 14 Vesperpsalmen
- Francesco Alessi — Magnificat
- John Amner — Second (Caesar's) Service
- Anonymous — Beatam me dicent
- Anonymous — Esurientes implevit bonis
- Anonymous — Et misericordia eius
- Anonymous — Magnificat (Mexico)
- Anonymous — Magnificat (Wanley Partbooks, 2nd setting)
- Anonymous — Magnificat octavi toni (Lambeth Choirbook)
- Anonymous — Magnificat septimi toni (Lambeth Choirbook)
- Alexander Arkhangelsky — Evening Service in G
- Benedict Anton Aufschnaiter — Vesper 1
- Richard Ayleward — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Short Service)
- Johann Sebastian Bach — 185 Bach Chorales
- Edward Bairstow — Evening service in D Major
- Edward Bairstow — Evening service in G
- Adrian Batten — Fourth Service
- Giuseppe Belloni — Magnificat primi toni
- Giuseppe Belloni — Magnificat secundi toni
- John Bertalot — Fauxbourdon
- Simon Biazeck — Evening Service for Men's Voices (Magnificat & Nunc dimittis)
- Simon Biazeck — Evening Service: Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
- Herbert Brewer — Evening canticles in D
- Herbert Brewer — Evening canticles in E flat
- William Byrd — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
- William Byrd — Short Service
- Franz Bühler — Vesperae Solennes
- Johann Melchior Caesar — Magnificat B-moll
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 1i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 2i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 3i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 4i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 5i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 6i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 7i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat 8i toni
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat a 4
- Francisco López Capillas — Magnificat a 8
- Samuel Friedrich Capricornus — Magnificat noni toni
- Cristoforo Caresana — Deposuit a 4 B
- Cristoforo Caresana — Magnificat a 5 voci da capella
- Francesco Cavalli — Magnificat a 8
- Tomaso Cecchino — Magnificat
- William Child — Service in G
- William Child — Sharp Service
- Antonio Cifra — Magnificat (1629)
- Antonio Cifra — Magnificat
- Antonio Cifra — Magnificat a 4
- Henry Bird Collins — Magnificat Tone VIII / III
- Horatio Colombano — Magnificat primi toni
- Horatio Colombano — Magnificat secundi toni
- Giovanni Paolo Colonna — Magnificat a 5
- Chiara Margarita Cozzolani — Magnificat primo
- Johann Crüger — Geistliche Kirchen-Melodien
- Colin Davey — Evening Service in B minor
- Henry Walford Davies — Evening Service in E flat
- Hugo Distler — Magnificat
- Antonius Divitis — Magnificat octavi toni
- Antonius Divitis — Magnificat secundi toni
- Guillaume Dufay — Magnificat octavi toni
- Francesco Durante — Magnificat con VV à cinque voci (a minor)
- George Dyson — Evening Service in D Major
- George Dyson — Magnificat in D Major
- Sebastian Ertl — Magnificat in Echo
- Sebastian Ertl — Magnificat super Si qua rubent
- Richard Farrant — 'High' Evening Service
- Francesco Feroci — Magnificat octavi toni
- Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer — Magnificat brevius
- Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer — Magnificat longius
- Robert Führer — Vesperpsalmen
- Mathieu Gascongne — Magnificat octavi toni
- Mathieu Gascongne — Magnificat septimi toni
- Giovanni Gastoldi — Magnificat
- Orlando Gibbons — Second Service
- Charles Gounod — Magnificat in D
- Ciro Grassi — Magnificat octavi toni, op. 17/5
- David Greenwood — Evening Service in C
- David Greenwood — Evening Service in D
- David Greenwood — St David's Evening Service
- Gregorian chant — Magnificat (seventh tone)
- Gregorian chant — Vesper Psalms & Magnificat
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat octavi toni 1 (odd verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat octavi toni 2 (even verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat quarti toni (even verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat quarti toni (odd verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat quinti toni (even verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat quinti toni (odd verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat septimi toni 1 (odd verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat septimi toni 2 (even verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat sexti toni (even verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat sexti toni (odd verses)
- Francisco Guerrero — Magnificat tertii toni (even verses)
- Conrad Hagius — Mein Seel macht grosz den Herrn
- Basil Harwood — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in E flat
- Johann Michael Haydn — Canticum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis (Magnificat) MH 294
- Johann Michael Haydn — Magnificat, MH 321-6
- Johann David Heinichen — Magnificat in A, S. 90
- Guillaume Le Heurteur — Magnificat Primi Toni
- Guillaume Le Heurteur — Magnificat quarti toni
- Juan Navarro Hispalensis — Magnificat octavi toni (II)
- Israel Holdroyd — Magnificat
- Georg August Holler — Vesperae Solemnes in D
- Edmund Hooper — Short Service
- William Horwood — Magnificat
- Václav Emanuel Horák — Vesperae de Confessore
- Herbert Howells — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G
- I) — Magnificat (Robert Jones (I))
- Pierre Phalèse II — Litaniae Septem Deiparae Virgini Musice Decantandae
- John Ireland — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in F major
- Heinrich Isaac — Alleluia Magnificat
- Ross Jallo — Crediton Service
- Ross Jallo — Short Evening Service
- Philip James — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Hugh Kellyk — Magnificat
- Thomas Knyght — Evening Service for Men
- MB Krueger — Evening Service
- Gierolamo Lambardi — Magnificat sexti toni
- Pietro Lappi — Magnificat à 5
- Tanmoy Laskar — Magnificat a 8
- Orlando di Lasso — Esurientes implevit bonis II
- Orlando di Lasso — Esurientes implevit bonis III
- Orlando di Lasso — Fecit potentiam in brachio suo II
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat octavi toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat primi toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat Quarti toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat Quinti toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat secundi toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat septimi toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat Sexti toni
- Leonhard Lechner — Magnificat Tertii toni
- Leonhard Lechner — O quam suavis est (Cum paribus vocibus)
- Giovanni Legrenzi — Magnificat
- Giovanni Legrenzi — Magnificat a 2 chori con strumenti
- Caroline Lesemann-Elliott — Short Service
- Juan de Lienas — Magnificat a 5 3er Tono
- Richard Lloyd — Magnificat (Hereford)
- Nonnosus Madlseder — Vesperae de B. V. Maria, Op.4,2
- Arthur Henry Mann — Evening Service in E
- Domenico Massenzio — Magnificat
- John Henry Maunder — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Rupert Ignaz Mayr — Magnificat
- Giovanni Battista Mazzaferrata — Magnificat
- Jonathan Merrett — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
- Ernest John Moeran — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in D
- Henry Molle — First Service
- Henri Du Mont — Magnificat (Ton Royal)
- Cristoforo Montemayor — Magnificat a 8
- John Mundy — Service for Men in 3 parts
- William Mundy — Magnificat (Latin)
- William Mundy — Service in medio chori
- Herbert Murrill — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
- Donat Müller — Vesperae solemnes in D
- Edward Woodall Naylor — Evening Service in A
- Edward Woodall Naylor — Evening Service in D Major
- T. Tertius Noble — Evening Canticles in b minor
- Antonio Nola — Magnificat a 4 chori con violini
- Vincent Francis Novello — Evening canticles in E
- Vincent Francis Novello — Grand Magnificat in C
- José Maurício Nunes Garcia — Alleluia Confitemini Domino
- José Maurício Nunes Garcia — Magnificat for the Vespers of Our Lady
- José Maurício Nunes Garcia — Magnificat for the Vespers of St. Joseph
- Georg Otto — Deutsches Magnificat
- Robert Page — Evening Service in B flat
- Robert Page — Evening Service in G
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Esurientes implevit bonis
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Magnificat primi toni a 8
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Magnificat primi toni a5
- Jacques Guislain Pamart — Magnificat
- Paolo Pandolfo — Magnificat
- William Pashe — Magnificat
- Stefano Pasino — Magnificat in canon
- Francesco Passarini — Deposuit potentes de sede
- Malcolm Pearce — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Childrey Service)
- Pascal Picard — Magnificat, Op. 34
- Pietro Pontio — Sicut erat in principio
- Hieronymus Praetorius — Magnificat quinti toni
- Tim Pratt — Evening Canticles in F
- Tim Pratt — Magnificat (St. Finian's)
- Pancratius Rampis — Magnificat
- Valentin Rathgeber — Magnificat Op. II, No. 16
- Valentin Rathgeber — Magnificat, Op.II, No.7
- Juan de los Reyes — Magnificat
- James Hotchkiss Rogers — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Davide Da Ros — Magnificat
- Giovanni Rovetta — Magnificat concertata a 8
- Franz Schöpf — Vespers & Magnificat in B Flat
- John Sheppard — Magnificat
- Caleb Simper — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- John Alcock Sr. — Third Service in F (1788): Evening Canticles
- Heathcote Statham — Magnificat in E Minor
- Charles Steggall — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in B flat
- Konstantin Steingaden — Magnificat
- Charles Hylton Stewart — Evening Service in C Major
- Oliver Stoning — Magnificat
- Thomas Tallis — Magnificat (fauxbourdon)
- Thomas Tallis — Short (Dorian) Service
- Thomas Tomkins — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Third Service
- Thomas Tomkins — Morning and Evening Canticles from the Fourth Service
- John Ebenezer West — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in E flat
- Charles Wood — Evening Service in C Major
Texts used in settings and translations
Latin text 1 Magnificat, anima mea, Dominum
Milanese composers (e.g. Cima) set the text according to the Ambrosian Rite, which has the following differences: |
English translation
1 My soul doth magnify the Lord. |
English text
1 My soul doth magnify the Lord:2 and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. |
1 My soul doth magnify the Lord, |
- Most musical settings in English use the Book of Common Prayer text, including the minor doxology, Gloria Patri. The King James Version is provided for comparison.
French translation 1 Mon âme exalte le Seigneur. |
Spanish translation 1 Mi alma canta la gandeza del Señor |
Portuguese translation 1 A minha alma glorifica o Senhor |
German translation 1 Meine Seel erhebt den Herren, |
Chinese translation Modern Chinese |
Classical Chinese |
Dutch translation 1 Mijn ziel prijst en looft de Heer, |
Danish translation 1 Min sjæl ophøjer Herren, |
Greek text Μεγαλύνει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον |
Μεγαλύνει η ψυχή μου τον Κύριον |
Church Slavonic text Величай, душе моя, честнейшую горних воинств, |
Russian translation Величит душа Моя Господа, |
Norwegian translation
1 Mi sjel høglovar Herren, |
Bokmål |
Tagalog translation Traditional |
Modern Text |
English text
My soul and spirit, filled with joy, |
Vietnamese translation Vespers External linksPlease support CPDL with a donation! All major credit cards as well as checks are accepted. Please visit this page for details. View the Wikipedia article on Magnificat composers. |
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- Vietnamese translations
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