Part II

A Musical Reconstruction Of The Service Held In The Church Of San Nicolò, Lido

Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison

Andrea Gabrieli

The Kyrie is a petition sung directly after the introit at the opening of the Mass. It usually has a nine-fold structure, with each of the three lines being stated three times. The text, from the Greek, has been used in the Eucharist in some shape or form since the sixth century. The words, Kyrie Eleison, are also used as a ubiquitous response to other liturgical items, especially those of the various litanies, or prayers of supplication. In Gabrieli’s setting here, the first Kyrie is sung by a single line of sopranos, accompanied by brass. For the Christe, the texture opens out to an eight-part double chorus of SSAT/SATB, and for the final Kyrie the texture builds to a twelve-part SSAT/SATB/ATBB.

Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

Gloria In Excelsis Deo

Andrea Gabrieli

The Gloria, or Greater Doxology, was a prose hymn of praise of the early Christian church. It is first found in the Apostolic Constitution (c380) and its oldest translation is from the seventh century. Originally it was sung at Lauds, the second service of the monastic day, whilst in Rome it was used in the Mass only when a bishop was the Celebrant; ordinary priests being permitted to use it only on Easter Day. The words begin with a quotation from the story of the nativity from Luke’s gospel (2:14) and continue with a sequence of disparate acclamations of praise, invocations and petitions (the words of the Agnus Dei, which are contained within the text, were introduced by Pope Sergius I (687-701)), ending with a Trinitarian doxology. Gabrieli’s setting here is for sixteen parts divided into four choirs of SSAT/SATB/SATB/ATBB. The music is largely syllabic and antiphonal with the four choirs conversing with each other, the sounds coming from different parts of the building. The piece ends with a quick triple-time section, reminiscent of an Alleluia.

Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax
hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
adoramus te, glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex cœlestis,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine fili unigenite Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei,
Filius Patris,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris,
miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus,
Tu solus Dominus,
Tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria
Dei Patris. Amen.

Glory be to God on high,
And in Earth peace,
goodwill towards men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee,
we worship Thee, we glorify Thee.
We give thanks to Thee
for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only begotten son, Jesus Christ.
O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy,
Thou only art the Lord,
Thou only art the most high, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, in the glory of
God the Father. Amen.

Canzon XII à 8

Giovanni Gabrieli

This was published in Venice in 1615.