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Concerts among the mountains
19—25 August 2024

Wednesday 21 August 2024, 18:00—19:15

Zebegény, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic parish church / Venue »

Motetti missales
Music from the Duomo of Milan

Pulse Ensemble (The Netherlands)
Concert / Medieval / Renaissance

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We kindly ask you to arrive on time, as we have a first come, first seated system.

  • Pulse Ensemble:
  • Daan van der Schaft — countertenor
  • Ernesto Schuddeboom — tenor
  • Willem Peek — baritone
  • Stijn Claerhoudt — bass
  • Gaspar van Weerbeke 1445 k. — 1516 u.
  • „Quam pulchra es” — Motetti missales consequentes (Gaffurius Codices: Librone 1. Duomo, Milan) late 15th c.
  • Ambrosian chants for the feast of Assumption of the Virgin
  • Ad Processionem ante Missam: Hodie Maria virgo cælos ascenditplainchant
  • Loco Introitus: Quam pulchra esMotetti missales
  • Loco Gloria: Alma Redemptoris MaterMotetti missales
  • Psalmellus: Dilexisti justitiamplainchant
  • Post Epistolam: Hallelujah. Diffusa est gratiaplainchant
  • Post Evangelium: Exaltata est Sancta Dei Genitrixplainchant
  • Loco Patrem: Salve Virgo salutataMotetti missales
  • Loco Offertorii: O pulcherrima mulierumMotetti missales
  • Loco Sanctus:Motetti missales
    • Pars I: Ave Regina Cælorum, Mater
    • Pars II: Ave corpus Domini
  • Post Elevationem: O Maria clausus hortusMotetti missales
  • Loco Agnus Dei: Mater Patris filiaMotetti missales
  • Confractorium: Lætare, Virgoplainchant
  • Transitorium: Magnificamus teplainchant
  • Loco Deo gratias:Motetti missales
    • Pars I: Tota pulchra es
    • Pars II: Iam enim hiems transiit
  • Marian antiphon: Salve Reginaplainchant

Download the texts of the pieces (translations provided in Hungarian only) »

About the programme

Præambulum

On-stage interview with Ernesto Schuddeboom before the concert at 17:30—17:45 More details »

In the late fifteenth century, a most unusual treatment of the Holy Mass took place in Duomo of Milan: the practice of motetti missales. A cycle of so-called motetti missales consisting of multiple motets, usually eight, were used, apparently replacing a number of chants from the Ordinary and Propers of the mass. In modern times, eight such cycles of motetti missales by the composers Loyset Compère, Gaspar van Weerbeke, and Franchinus Gaffurius have been identified by scholars. All known cycles are either dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Nativity of the Lord. Three large, hand-written choirbooks, which were produced during Gaffurius’ career as chapelmaster of the Duomo of Milan and are currently known as Librone 1, 2 and 3, constitute the main source for these cycles.

The Pulse Ensemble performs the cycle ‘Quam Pulchra Es’ (source: Librone 1), classified in the original manuscript as Motetti missales consequentes, by the Flemish composer Gaspar van Weerbeke (c. 1445 — after 1516). The cycle consists of eight motets with texts in honor of Mary, composed to be sung during the mass, which is implied by the superscriptions accompanying the motet cycles in the choirbook, such as ‘Loco Introitus’, ‘Post Elevationem’, and so on. For the motets, Gaspar used a combination of texts from the Song of Songs and Marian chants. The invocation of Mary functions as intercession between the believers and God, enhancing the words of the liturgy, not sung by the choir but spoken by the priest. Although it remains unclear how the practice of motetti missales came into existence — and why they were allowed in the liturgy, it demonstrates a growing concern for individual responsibility in personal devotion whereby the attendees of the mass were expected to be consciously aware of the unsung texts of the liturgy. While the surviving motet cycles show a range of different composition techniques, they converge stylistically at the motet sung during the Elevation of the sacramental bread: Ave corpus Domini ‘Hail, body of Lord’ is set on a solemn homophonic series of fermata chords.

Traditionally, in Milan, the Ambrosian rite, named after Saint Ambrose of Milan, was used for the mass. However, the superscriptions in the motet cycle of Van Weerbeke suggest that the mass in which the motetti missales were performed, was following a mixture of Ambrosian and Roman rites. The lack of the Kyrie preceding the Gloria, as fixed part of the Ordinary, is a characteristic of the Ambrosian rite, but the Agnus Dei and Deo Gratias, which we find in the Roman rite, is not attested in the Ambrosian tradition. However, the closing salutation Benedicamus Domino (responded with Deo gratias) was found in a Milanese missal from the second half of the 15th century. Modern scholars deem it likely that the motetti missales were performed in the Ambrosian rite along with the complementary propers (Psalmellus, Post Epistolam, Post Evangelium, Confractorium, Transitorium). The Pulse Ensemble will combine ‘Quam Pulchra es’ with Ambrosian chants used for the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

About the performers

Pulse Ensemble
Pulse Ensemble

The singers Stijn Claerhoudt (1995), Willem Peek (1998), Daan van der Schaft (1995) and Ernesto Schuddeboom (1998) met early during their youth at the Cathedral Choir School of Utrecht, where they received musical and liturgical education on a near daily basis. The vocal quartet is specialised in Franco-Flemish polyphony and other historical music from the Dutch-speaking area. Research into original manuscripts, delving into the historical and contextual background of the music, and experimentation with lost as well as surviving performance practices, strengthen the artists’ relation to the performed music.

Since its foundation in 2014, the Pulse Ensemble has performed at international stages such Francigena International Arts Festival of Lucca (2018), International Chamber Music Festival of Utrecht (2019, Hidden Gems Series), Song of our Roots: Early Music Festival in Jarosław (Poland, 2018 & 2019), Musica Divina in Crakow (2019), Klassiek op het Amstelveld (2022) among others. This year the ensemble will be hosted as artists-in-residence at Song of our Roots: Early Music Festival in Jarosław (Poland), with a concert on 22nd of August.

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