Ainsi qu'on oit le cerf bruire

Psalm 42 has inspired some of choral music’s best moments (“like as the hart”, “as the deer”, “sicut cervus”), but this setting, sung by The Advent Choir a few weeks ago, is probably my favorite of all time.

Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf bruire -- Claude Goudimel (c1510-1572)/ The Advent Choir / Jeremy Bruns, conductor / Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf bruire, pourchassant le frais des eaux: ainsi mon cœur qui souspire Seigneur, après tes ruisseaux, va, tousjours criant, suivant le grand, le grand Dieu vivant. Helas! donques, quand serace que verray de Dieu la face? Jour et nuits pour ma viande de pleurs me vai soustenant, quand je voy qu’on me demande: où est ton Dieu maintenant? Je fond en me souvenant, qu’en troupe j’alloy menant, priant, chantant, grosse bande faire au temple son offrande. As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul, how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. [Metrical paraphrase of Psalm 42:1-4 by Théodore de Bèze, (1519-1605) & RSV]

Guillaume Dufay

Never heard of Guillaume Dufay? He was the illegitimate son of a priest, spent his career as a priest and composer between his home in Cambrai and the courts of some of the major families of Italy (Malatesta, d’Este, de’Medici), and wrote some of the most incredible sacred music of the Renaissance!

Read more about Dufay here

Turkish Crescent

About the Turkish Crescent (featured in Haydn’s Symphony 100 and other places): Much of the modern orchestra’s percussion comes from Turkish military bands. First European military bands imported Turkish musicians. Then they assigned Turkish instruments to black performers dressed in exotic Eastern garb.

Turkish music, in the sense described here, is not the music of Turkey, but rather a musical style that was occasionally used by the European composers of the Classical music era. This music was modelled—though often only distantly—on the music of Turkish military bands, specifically the Janissary bands.

An important impetus for Turkish music occurred in 1699, when Austria and Ottoman Empire negotiated the Treaty of Karlowitz. To celebrate the treaty, the Turkish diplomatic delegation brought a Janissary band along with other performers to Vienna for several days of performances.

Although the Janissary sound was familiar in Europe during the 18th century, the Classical composers were not the first to make use of it; rather, the first imitators were military bands. The cultural influence at first involved actual importation of Turkish musicians, as Henry George Farmer relates:

Turkish music, in the sense described here, is not the music of Turkey, but rather a musical style that was occasionally used by the European composers of the Classical music era. This music was modelled-though often only distantly-on the music of Turkish military bands, specifically the Janissary bands.

Francesco Corteccia

Me in rehearsal: “Who is this Corteccia person? I’ve never heard of him.”
History: “One of the major early madrigalists, the most prominent musician in Florence, and court composer to Cosimo de’ Medici.”

Francesco Corteccia (July 27, 1502 – June 7, 1571) was an Italian composer, organist, and teacher of the Renaissance. Not only was he one of the best known of the early composers of madrigals, and an important native Italian composer during a period of domination by composers from the Low Countries, but he was the most prominent musician in Florence for several decades during the reign of Cosimo I de' Medici.[1]

He was born in Florence. By 1515 he was a choirboy and was enrolled in the cathedral school; around this time he probably studied organ with Bartolomeo degli Organi, and composition with Bernardo Pisano. On October 22, 1527, he became chaplain at the baptistry, and in 1531 entered indirectly into the employ of the Medici as both chaplain and organist at the church of San Lorenzo, the Medici family church. From 1535 to 1539 he was organist at San Lorenzo, and from 1540 until his death was maestro di cappella to the court of the Duke of Florence, Cosimo I de' Medici.

During his long tenure as maestro di cappella to the Medici, he gradually rose in position and prominence in Florence. In the chapel, he was successively chaplain, supernumerary canon, and canon; and in addition he held auxiliary positions such as chamberlain and archivist. In the 1560s he was replaced by Alessandro Striggio as the composer for most of the sumptuous musical productions of the Medici court, but he retained the position of maestro di cappella. Corteccia died in Florence in 1571, at the beginning of a period of musical decline at the Medici court.

Francesco Corteccia (July 27, 1502 - June 7, 1571) was an Italian composer, organist, and teacher of the Renaissance. Not only was he one of the best known of the early composers of madrigals, and an important native Italian composer during a period of domination by composers from the Low Countries, but he was the most prominent musician in Florence for several decades during the reign of Cosimo I de' Medici.

Susannah Cibber

One last #MessiahSeason controversy: the alto solos in Handel’s Messiah are frequently sung by countertenors now, but most of them were written for and premiered by a woman - Susannah Cibber.

Susannah Maria Cibber (February 1714 – 30 January 1766),[1] also known as Susannah Maria Arne, was a celebrated English singer and actress. She was the sister of the composer Thomas Arne. Although she began her career as a soprano, her voice lowered in the early part of her career to that of a true contralto. She was universally admired for her ability to move her audiences emotionally both as an actress and vocalist. Possessing a sweet, expressive, and agile singing voice with a wide vocal range, Cibber was an immensely popular singer, even if at times her voice was criticized for a lack of polished technique. Charles Burney wrote of her singing that "by a natural pathos, and perfect conception of the words, she often penetrated the heart, when others, with infinitely greater voice and skill, could only reach the ear." Cibber was particularly admired by Handel, who wrote numerous parts especially for her including the contralto arias in his 1741 oratorio Messiah, the role of Micah in Samson, the role of Lichas in Hercules and the role of David in Saul among others. In the mid-1730s she began appearing in plays in addition to appearing in operas and oratorios. She became the greatest dramatic actress of the eighteenth-century London stage and at the time of her death was the highest-paid actress in England.

Cibber was born in the Covent Garden area of London to Thomas and Anne Arne. Her father and grandfather were upholsterers and office holders in the Worshipful Company of Upholders. As a child she studied singing with her brother Thomas, who would later become one of the most important composers of the era and an important part of Cibber's career as a singer. Her other brother, Richard, also worked as a singer and actor but never achieved the same level of success as his siblings.

Susannah Maria Cibber (February 1714 - 30 January 1766), also known as Susannah Maria Arne, was a celebrated English singer and actress. She was the sister of the composer Thomas Arne. Although she began her career as a soprano, her voice lowered in the early part of her career to that of a true contralto.