Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, liber primus (Andrea Gabrieli)
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Title: Sacrae Cantiones (Vulgo Motecta Appellatae), Quinque Vocum, Liber Primus.
Composer: Andrea Gabrieli
Language: Latin
Printed and published in the studio of Antonio Gardano in Venice in 1565, this is the first published collection of Andrea Gabrieli's compositions and shows his early style. 1565 is an interesting date as Gabrieli's star was just rising in Venice - he had travelled to Munich in 1562, befriending Orlandus Lassus, and then he became organist at San Marco in 1566. Quite possibly this collection, dedicated to Prince Albert, Duke of Bavaria and probably at least partially composed while in Munich, helped Gabrieli to gain the post.
Publication date and place: 1565 by Antonio Gardano in Venice.
All items in this collection are motets in Latin, scored for five voices. The exact disposition of parts varies; usually the fifth voice is a tenor but often a cantus and occasionally a bassus. Many motets are in more than one section (indicated in brackets in the table below); these often have some musically unifying feature - for exampe both sections sometimes end with the same music - but in some cases it may be possible to perform only one of the sections.
Stylistically these motets are noticeably earlier than the polychoral works for which the Gabrielis are nowadays known, however Andrea Gabrieli revised and reissued these motets more than once in his life so they seem to have been in some demand. The motets make extensive use of imitative polyphony, though tempered with strong cadential formulae and madrigalian touches particularly where colourful psalm texts call for them.
The texts are split between full Psalms (typically psalms for Vespers, though never including the Gloria Patri) and prayers from the missal propers. The latter are presumably intended to be used in generic devotional contexts, for example penitence, Marian devotions or exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
As suggested on the 1565 title page, instrumental support or substitution is optional but worth considering.
Facsimile: at the Pomorska Biblioteka Cyfrowa / Pomeranian Digital Library.
List of Works
Works at CPDL
| Title | Year | No. | Genre | Subgenre | Vo. | Voices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ave Sanctissima Maria a 5 | 1565 | 21 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB,ATTTB |
| Beata es Maria | 1565 | 18 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SAATB |
| Bonum est confiteri Domino | 1565 | 7 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Cantate Domino canticum novum a 5 | 1565 | 6 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Confitebor tibi Domine | 1565 | 22 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Deus noster refugium | 1565 | 3 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Domine, quid multiplicati | 1565 | 8 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Domine Dominus noster a 5 | 1565 | 2 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Exaudi, Deus, orationem meam | 1565 | 16 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Heu mihi, Domine a 5 | 1565 | 11 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | ATTBB |
| Laetare Jerusalem | 1565 | 23 | Sacred | Introits | 5 | SSATB |
| Laudate Dominum omnes gentes a 5 | 1565 | 1 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Levavi oculos meos in montes | 1565 | 4 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | ATTTB |
| Libera me Domine | 1565 | 9 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | ATTBB |
| O Rex gloriae | 1565 | 24 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SAATB |
| O lux beata Trinitas | 1565 | 15 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| O sacrum convivium | 1565 | 14 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Pater peccavi a 5 | 1565 | 17 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SSATB |
| Quare fremuerunt gentes | 1565 | 20 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SAATB |
| Sancta et immaculata a 5 | 1565 | 13 | Sacred | Marian | 5 | SSATB |
| Sic Deus dilexit mundum a 5 | 1565 | 12 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SAATB |
| Spiritus meus attenuabitur | 1565 | 10 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATBB |
| Verba mea auribus percipe | 1565 | 5 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |
| Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi | 1565 | 19 | Sacred | Motets | 5 | SATTB |