Veni dilecte mi by Orlando di Lasso
It's Friday, and time for another motet. This week's selection is by three composers: Orlandus Lassus; Orlando di Lasso; and Orlande de Lassus. No, just kidding; though these diverse names by which Lassus is known are an indicator of how cosmopolitan the music world had become by the mid-16th century. Lassus himself was equally fluent in Italian, German, French and Latin (plus several dialects), and even published a single volume of songs in all four of these languages, the so-called 'Vier Sprachendruck' of 1573. He traveled widely, corresponded even more widely, and was known and venerated throughout Europe.
Lassus set to music many of the luscious texts in the Song of Songs (far and away the sexiest book in the Bible), though he never collected these settings into a single volume, as did his contemporary Palestrina. Today's motet is 'Veni dilecte mi', for five voices, from a 1571 motet collection. It's a ravishing setting of one of the most sensual passages from the Song of Songs, in which the young woman invites her lover to go out with her early to the vineyards to see how the grapes and the pomegranates (the sexiest fruit in the Bible) are doing. One thing leads to another.
As usual, your mission (should you decide to accept it) is to explore to the extent desired--everything from just listening to listening with the score to practicing and singing along with the recording. The text and translation is appended to the score, and midi files are provided for your support in learning your part.
It's Friday, and time for another motet. This week's selection is by three composers: Orlandus Lassus; Orlando di Lasso; and Orlande de Lassus. No, just kidding; though these diverse names by which Lassus is known are an indicator of how cosmopolitan the music world had become by the mid-16th century. Lassus himself was equally fluent in Italian, German, French and Latin (plus several dialects), and even published a single volume of songs in all four of these languages, the so-called 'Vier Sprachendruck' of 1573. He traveled widely, corresponded even more widely, and was known and venerated throughout Europe.
Lassus set to music many of the luscious texts in the Song of Songs (far and away the sexiest book in the Bible), though he never collected these settings into a single volume, as did his contemporary Palestrina. Today's motet is 'Veni dilecte mi', for five voices, from a 1571 motet collection. It's a ravishing setting of one of the most sensual passages from the Song of Songs, in which the young woman invites her lover to go out with her early to the vineyards to see how the grapes and the pomegranates (the sexiest fruit in the Bible) are doing. One thing leads to another.
As usual, your mission (should you decide to accept it) is to explore to the extent desired--everything from just listening to listening with the score to practicing and singing along with the recording. The text and translation is appended to the score, and midi files are provided for your support in learning your part.