Question about Victoria (attr.)'s "Jesu dulcis memoria"
  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 247
    Nearly everyone knows and loves this little motet, but I have been surprised at never having found an edition that sets multiple verses, so that one could sing verse 1 in parts, then 2 in chant, 3 in parts, etc. Does anyone out there happen to have one set up like that?
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Although I have the Victoria, I've not yet set it for alternation against the chant. If you are simply interested in a version along those lines (but not Victoria), Kevin Allen was commissioned to write just such a motet by CC Watershed in 2016 if I remember correctly. The site has it available for free download, but asks a small contribution if convenient.

    The Allen piece is quite beautiful, and I unreservedly recommend it. We are learning it later this year.

    My search was for "jesu dulcis memoria kevin allen" and it was toward the top of the results.

    If you are specifically looking at the Victoria, I could take a look to see what the transition would be like. If not too bad, I'll upload later.
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    It is most likely because it would take up so much more space, rather than fitting neatly on a single page (as opposed to it being difficult, or something). Extra verses also put text further from notes, which can make polyphony more difficult than it need be.

    http://www.ccwatershed.org/dulcis/ gives you a very pretty 1-page pdf file, + a file of extra chant verses that fit nicely with the rest of the piece.

    While it isn't the Victoria, this hymn-like version has all of the verses within the staves, for easy repeats. http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Jesu_dulcis_memoria_(Cornelius_Schmuck)
    Thanked by 1eft94530
  • jefe
    Posts: 200
    Cooze, thanks for the link. I'll make it work for our men's compline choir.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,815
    Dubious attributions never get enough respect ;-) A fun read if you've never encountered it before is Cudworth's 1954 Ye Olde Spuriousity Shoppe, or, Put it in the Anhang, which you can probably access with a public library card.

    Besides the messy CPDL page, there's another elegant one page version of verse 1 on Nacho Álvarez' Victoria site.
  • Cantus67Cantus67
    Posts: 208
    I don't have the exact one but this one is available on our website. Instead of Jesu Dulcis it's Jesu Rex Admirabilis so it's at least in the same vein. It is Palestrina and not Victoria, or at least I think it's Palestrina, who knows these days.

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4L7cTmcIRVEdThyOG9iYzZKTU0
  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 247
    Thanks, Richard, for the elegant 1-page version.

    Thanks, Cooze, for verses 2-5 on one page.

    Incardination, my choir also does the Kevin Allen version (in fact, we sang it yesterday at High Mass). It's very beautiful. But we also do the pseudo-Victoria, and I was just wondering if someone had set more than verse 1 to the polyphony. If you can do this easily, that would be great! I could do it as well if I had a Sibelius file to play with.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Dr. Kwasniewski,

    I haven't set the pseudo-Victoria to the other verses, but I have set the other verses. If you're interested, I'll post the score here.

  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 247
    Please do!
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    You could always use a photo-editor to set another verse. =)
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Dr. Kwasniewski,

    The 3-part has just the first verse.
    The SATB uses the chant melody of the Office hymn for the Holy Name of Jesus as a starting point for the even verses.

    Opinions welcome.

    Jesu Dulcis 3-part (1).pdf
    93K
    SATB Jesu Dulcis Memoria.pdf
    5M
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    A tad squished to try and keep it to 3 pages, and a bit contrived textually on 3 and 5 - if you have edits that are needed / suggested (particularly text edits), let me know.

    It was easier given my source for the chant to put all verses rather than the evens only... but if desired, I could eliminate the odds from the chant as well.
    Iesu Dulcis - VICTORIA w Chant.pdf
    298K
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Sorry - I also did not "idiot-check" the text, either of the chant (which was from Gregobase) or of my transcription. I will gladly correct any mistakes that are noted.
Add a Comment