Some new Renaissance-style works
  • Evan M
    Posts: 7
    Hello everyone,

    Since I see that many people on this forum enjoy music of, and inspired by, the Renaissance, I'd like to present some compositions in a stricter imitation of this style than is usually seen. Feel free to use, perform, etc.

    I am a graduate student in mathematics, and I have enjoyed singing, accompanying, and composing for masses at the various universities where I have been and will go.
    OSalutaris.pdf
    278K
    Dominensd.pdf
    262K
    Veni.pdf
    298K
    Thanked by 8CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn Casavant Organist irishtenor lmassery CCooze Heath Salieri
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    Very nicely done, congratulations and thanks for posting these. You are not the only mathematician here who enjoys and is inspired by music of the Renaissance, who also composes in (more or less) strict imitation of this style. I hope you will become a regular here.
    Thanked by 3Casavant Organist irishtenor Andrew_Malton
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    Awfully nice!
    Are you going to send these to Oxford?
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,486
    Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your view) Oxford does not accept unsolicited Mss. They basically publish John Rutter and a few other folks.
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Evan,

    If I were wearing a hat, I would now have taken it off to you. Well done, indeed.

    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    This is exactly what I need for my quartet. Thanks!
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    Alan Hovhaness has given us a number of admirably crafted 'neo-renaissance' motets.
    'Praise ye the Lord' is one I have done many times. It is clean, not difficult, only about three pages long, and a pleasure to sing. There are others whose text I cannot recall just now. A good one for an approaching feast is 'As They Came Down From the Mountain', for Transfiguration. It has contrasting sections of baritone solo over an 'ooing' choir singing in clean textures, and pure motet sections for SATB. Really Fine!
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    "ooing" -- didn't you say in another thread that this was intolerable?
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    "ooing" -- didn't you say in another thread that this was intolerable?

    'Twas humming to which the honourable member objected.

    These are wonderful pieces, all, and particularly like the Veni Emmanual c.f. adaptation. And I think your O Salutaris "Based on a familiar hymn" surpasses that hymn beyond measure. Excellent work.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    It is a tribute to Hovhaness' mastery of the renaissance motet style that gives occasion of forebearance & resigned toleration of his unfortunate use of ooing and humming, both of which are ordinarily to be most heartily excoriated. There is something inherently, um, how would one say?, er uh, 'corny!'... about humming and ooing, or, for that matter, ahing. Worst of all, though, it seems to me, are the last two named.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,815
    O dear; have you been scarred (I have) by a hummed version of Bloch's Silent Meditation? I presume you would never consider instrumental accompaniment for "I wonder as I wander".

    The Hovhannes can be found under T for Transfiguration, Op. 82. The 16' duration gives me pause: are there distinct movements?
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    The solo sections, which have ooed accompaniment, might be able to be omitted. One would definitely want to 'explore' this possibility. The work is divided into four quite distinct sections, each of which comes to a complete close. The form, as regards texture and procedure, is A=solo+ooing, B=SATB motet, A=solo+ooing, B=SATB motet. The foregoing refers strictly to textural procedure and has no thematic reference.

    This may be the only example I've encountered of exquisite renaissance motet procedure appearing 'alternatim', as it were, with solo and ooing accomplices in the late XXth century air-head procedure. The polyphony is exquisite and redeems (if one is in a lenient mood) the air-head sections.
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