Miserere mei (Gregorio Allegri)

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(Posted 2023-01-26) CPDL #72394:

Editor: Wim Looyestijn (submitted 2023-01-26). Score information: A4, 5 pages, 421 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Manuscript copy from the Sistine chapel, c. 1797, showing the first verse "as in the original" and an ornamented version "as it should be performed".

(Posted 2020-09-08) CPDL #60492:

Editor: Éric Leroy (submitted 2020-09-08). Score information: A4, 12 pages, 506 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes:

(Posted 2020-09-08) CPDL #60491:

Editor: Éric Leroy (submitted 2020-09-08). Score information: A4, 12 pages, 506 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: variante basse des terminaisons 3, 7, 11, 15, 19

(Posted 2018-01-13) CPDL #48405:

Editor: Ben Maloney (submitted 2018-01-13). Score information: A4, 12 pages, 337 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Original falsobordone setting from Sistine Codex of 1661. Corrections made March 2020.

'Top C' version

(Posted 2008-11-10) CPDL #18241:

Editor: Rod Mather (submitted 2008-11-10). Score information: A4, 19 pages, 159 kB Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: 2 editions - Latin and English, both have rehearsal accompaniment, and alternative where resources can avoid the high C.

(Posted 2008-02-17) CPDL #16055:

Editor: Brian Russell (submitted 2008-02-17). Score information: A4, 19 pages, 130 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: No keyboard reduction. NoteWorthy Composer file may be viewed and printed with NoteWorthy Composer Viewer.

(Posted 2005-12-30) CPDL #10530: (Sibelius 3)

Editor: Philip Legge (submitted 2005-12-30). Score information: A4, 12 pages, 104 kB Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.5 Australia

Edition notes: Latin. Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score. Revised on 8 April 2006 to fix incorrect display of fi ligatures.

(Posted 2002-03-05) CPDL #03308:

Editor: Christopher Moore (submitted 2002-03-05). Score information: A4, 17 pages, 440 kB Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Latin. Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score.

(Posted 2001-08-15) CPDL #02947:

Editor: Denis Mason (submitted 2001-08-15). Score information: A4, 14 pages, 376 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score. English version, original Latin version also available (ID # 2690).

(Posted 2001-08-15) CPDL #02690:

Editor: Denis Mason (submitted 2001-08-15). Score information: A4, 13 pages, 407 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score. Latin version, English version also available (ID # 2947).

Other versions

(Posted 2017-06-19) CPDL #45032:

Contributor: Paolo Pandolfo (submitted 2017-06-19). Score information: A4, 8 pages, 2.27 MB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Burney edition; scanned score.

(Posted 2016-11-23) CPDL #42015:

Editor: Nikolaus Hold (submitted 2016-11-23). Score information: A4, 8 pages, 114 kB Copyright: CC BY NC

Edition notes: Latin. This version was sung by the Regensburger Domspatzen under Theobald Schrems.

General Information

Title: Miserere mei, Deus
Composer: Gregorio Allegri

Number of voices: 5/9vv Voicing: SSATB, with SSAB semichoir or soloists
Genre: Sacred, Motet

Languages: Latin, English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1771 London: Robert Bremner
2nd published: 1775 London: Welcker
3rd published: 1795 Milan: Giovanni Battista Giussani
4th published: 1809 Leipzig: C.F. Peters
5th published: 1817 Vienna: Anton Strauss, 1817
6th published: 1820 Paris: Alexandre-Étienne Choron
7th published: 1843 in Recueil des morceaux de musique ancienne, Volume 2, no. 9
8th published: 1899 New York: G. Schirmer
9th published: 1907 in Sammlung ausgezeichneter Kompositionen für die Kirche, no. 3.11
Description: A fauxbourdon setting of the Vulgate Psalm 50 (or Psalm 51 in Hebrew numbering), with five voices, a cappella, and semi-choir of four solo voices alternating with plainchant. The version most familiar to modern listeners bears little relation to the original music composed by Allegri.

The structure of the work is most easily understood by looking at the edition of G. Schirmer, New York, 1899 (see IMSLP). The verses are alternately sung by the two choirs, each 5 stanzas, the first bar of each half in speech rhythm. In the second half of the last verse, the two choirs unite in a 9-voice setting ("tunc imponent super altere …").

The fact that the other verses of the psalm were sung in unison voice, obviously did not have to be specially mentioned. Ben Byram-Wigfield writes: "… over the span of time through which this piece was performed, a great many chants will have been used, including those found in the liber usualis in the liturgy for Lauds on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday … ". In his Allegri's original setting, you can find a chant different from the popular sung by the King's College Choir.

For the term 'Top C' version, see Ben Byram-Wigfield’s source overview. He calls this the "version, best known today", which maybe is only valid for the English-speaking countries.

External websites:

Free choir training aids for this work are available at Choralia.
Miserere mei (Gregorio Allegri) at the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
English Bible, KJV: Psalm 51
1971 YouTube performance in English (top C version) (Guildford Cathedral Choir) - Barry Rose

Original text and translations

Original text and translations may be found at Psalm 51.