Choral Agnus Dei settings
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Friends,

    I believe I'm going to be brave this year and start planning a choral Agnus Dei regularly; we'll probably use a setting for a few weeks while prepping the next one . . . anyway, I'm looking for rep suggestions using the following parameters:

    1) Mixed choir, SATB at the most
    2) Brief! (2 minutes tops, I would think)
    3) Latin, preferably
    4) Choral, of course

    Also wondering if any of you have tried such a thing in a setting where congregational settings are the norm? Thanks in advance.
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,942
    You would also need it to be expandable to cover the fraction as indicated in the liturgical books, unless your timing is very reliable (with present and future celebrants). That might simply mean an organ interlude between the segments. Or something else.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Heath, this arrangement (based on Allegri's Miserere) is always a "hit":

    MP3 audio recording • SATB Agnus Dei SCORE [pdf]
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    One addition: With the polyphonic settings from the Renaissance, was the "Miserere nobis" section repeated, followed by Agnus "II"? It seems that I've always seen 2 sections: Miserere and then the Dona . . .

    Liam, admittedly, I'm somewhat ignorant of what's going on up there during the fraction rite at our church, as it's seemingly soooooo short; even with the shortest Agnus settings we've used, the priest always seems to be waiting on me. Hmm . . . our priests usually do things by the book, so I'm without an answer.

    Jeff, yes, I saw that, as well as the Palestrina Credo adaptation! Both look nice and I may use one or both . . . thanks!
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    I just gave a performance of the Tournai Mass, and the Agnus from this work is very doable (3 voices). Proulx has some nice alternatim settings with polyphony of Victoria and Byrd.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,032
    The Agnus Dei's from these masses are generally short and sweet though some are longer than two minutes. (* = very short) All can be found on CPDL. (see also this thread.)

    Missa super Dixit Maria (Hassler)
    *Missa secunda (Hassler)
    Missa brevis (Andrea Gabrieli)
    Missa L'Hora passa (Ludovico Viadana)
    *Missa octavi toni (Orlando di Lasso)
    Missa O quam gloriosum (Victoria)
    Missa Sine Nomine (Viadana)
    *Missa Brevis in D Minor (Lotti)
    *Missa de Beata Virgine (Aichinger)
    *Missa Brevis (Lotti)
    *Mass (Casciolini - SAB) (attached)

    Sam Schmitt
    Casciolini Mass - SAB.pdf
    388K
    Thanked by 1tomboysuze
  • ref_scottref_scott
    Posts: 90
    I use an Agnus Dei from Kitson's Mass in D Minor. I think it's a little under two minutes. I use the whole mass for weddings usually so the parts aren't too long. It is for organ and two sopranos, but I do an arrangement for soprano and bass with organ, perfect for a small or mid size schola. I can send you a scan if you are interested.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    ref_scott, I am interested, thanks! Can you scan it and post it on the thread?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    http://romancatholicsacredmusic.com/seehear/massInCMaj/5.html
    Thanked by 1tomboysuze
  • maestrodicapella
    Posts: 126
    I agree with rich_enough's list. And personally, I wouldn't bother with adaptations when there are so many fine settings easily available.

    The Agnus Dei from all of these masses will be perfect for your needs. It was common practice to substitute the final 'miserere nobis' of the Agnus Dei with 'dona nobis pacem' which means you don't have to repeat the whole movement again. Similarly, if time allows, a chant setting can be sung between repeats.

    Interestingly, rich_enough, the Casciolini setting you posted is an arrangement. The music is acutally from a Missa pro defunctis by Casciolini (the chant has added by the editor of your edition) and although you say it is SAB, it is actually for men's voices: TTB. Also, he set the whole requiem mass, the bits in your arrangement are just a fragment.

    Also, ref_scott, the Kitson in D for SS + org is an arrangement (either by Kitson himself or his editor) of the SATB + org setting. You say it is in D minor (which if memory serves, the Agnus Dei is) but the mass in general is in D major. But then again, it may be a different Mass. Either way, the Agnus Dei from the Mass in D major is well worth singing.

    In addition, I attach two Agnus Dei:
    The first is from G.F. Anerio's Missa della bataglia, the second from Lassus' Missa 'On me la dit' I have the full masses if anyone wants them.
    lassusagnusdei.pdf
    24K
    AnerioAgnusDeidellabataglia.pdf
    32K
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,032
    maestrodicapella,

    Thanks for your comments.

    Yes, I was aware that the Casciolini is an arrangement. The copy says as much and in fact, the arranger, J. G. Phillips, is the man who gave me the copy.

    You are correct that it is (originally) for TTB. I have sung it successfully with SAB, however, and I thought that more people would be interested in it if I presented it for mixed choir.

    I did not realize it was from his Requiem. A pretty snappy setting! I would be very interested in seeing the complete mass if you happen to have a copy.

    Sam Schmitt
  • maestrodicapella
    Posts: 126
    Sam,

    Yes, it works well with SAB. I do have a copy, but I'm not great at scanning things in. If I have time I'll certainly try.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    All my masses have pretty compact Agnuses.
    As for the repeat problem, a lot of people use a chant Agnus of the proper mode for the 2nd time, which makes it clear that it really is a "2nd Agnus" (because in polyphony, how many times have you really sung the text?). It's very common for Renaissance Agnuses to add a voice part for the Dona nobis. If you don't have the extra voice, you can repeat Agnus 1 and sing "Dona nobis pacem" for "miserere nobis". Is this "authentic"? Got me. Odder and less liturgical kosher things (like an organ Agnus) probably happened. This is church music; you do what works. As Peter Schickele once said, "PDQ Bach [or Lassus or Lotti) has been dead a long time; no use covering up for him now."
Add a Comment