Palestrina Mass Setting for Treble Voices?
  • JDBading
    Posts: 10
    Does anyone have a treble arrangement or high chiavette version of any one of Palestrina’s myriad ordinaries? Just seeing what’s out there.
  • stulte
    Posts: 355
    Palestrina's Masses were written in such a way that simply transposing them up would result in them not resting well within singers' vocal ranges. And arranging them would most likely result in, unless someone is REALLY skilled in writing 16th-century counterpoint, a bastardization of his works.

    That said, what voices are you working with? And, what are you looking for beyond simply a Mass Ordinary by Palestrina? Is there a specific occasion you're planning to sing for?
  • JDBading
    Posts: 10
    @stulte

    W/o getting into too much detail, we’re inviting a very good conventual choir to sing for a special Mass and we want to highlight Palestrina’s music. These nuns can do SSAA comfortably. I realize that just upping the chiavette would not solve the problem, so I was interested if any quality arranger has attempted the Missa Brevis or something of the sort for trebles. I know Sicut and the like has been well arranged for women.
    Thanked by 1stulte
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    A few of the 4-part Palestrina Masses are already written in what amounts to high chiavette, with the soprano going up to a high G and the Bass only down to C below middle C. I've worked with a women's choir that had this range already (was lucky to have two 2nd Altos that had a low C). One is even more likely to find 2nd Altos with a low D, which means that, if transposed up a whole step, 1st Sopranos would have a high A and 2nd Alto a low D. A few that I've checked at CPDL fit this requirement (there may be more):

    Missa Ave Maria
    MIssa Ave regina caelorum
    Missa de Beata Virgine
    Thanked by 1JDBading
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