Today’s episode is dedicated to music for Lent and Holy Week. We will listen to the two final penitential psalms out of the seven, with the music composed by Orlandus Lassus.
The sixth penitential psalm, ‘De profundis clamavi,’ is also heard in a setting of the German version by Luther, composed by Hans Leo Hassler: ‘Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir’.
Hassler is featured several times towards the end of the program in arrangements of German chorales, including ‘Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr.’ The final stanza, ‘Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein,’ has become famous as the closing chorale of Bach’s St. John Passion.
In between, several Latin motets are also featured, by Lassus and by Jacobus Handl-Gallus. His motet ‘Ecce quomodo moritur justus’ has gained quite a reputation in recent years and is sometimes added to performances of Bach’s Passions.
Orlandus Lassus (1532-1594)
1. Sextus Psalmus Poenitentialis: De profundis clamavi
Kammerchor Josquin des Prèz conducted by Steffen Kammler
(CD: “Psalmi Poenitentiales” – Raumklang RK 9606, 1997)
Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)
2. Auß tieffer noth schrey ich zu dir
Currende conducted by Erik Van Nevel
(CD: “Sacred and secular music” – Et’cetera KTC 1409, 2010)
Orlandus Lassus
3. Septimus Psalmus Poenitentialis: Domine, exaudi orationem meam
Kammerchor Josquin des Prèz conducted by Steffen Kammler
(CD: see 1)
4. In monte Oliveti
Stile Antico
(CD: “Passion & Resurrection” – Harmonia mundi HMU 807555, 2012)
Jacobus Handl-Gallus (1550-1591)
5. Ecce quomodo moritur justus
Polyharmonique, L’arpa festante
(CD: Johann Georg Künstel, Markus Passion – Christophorus CHR 77435, 2019)
Sethus Calvisius (1556-1615)
6. O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
Leonhard Paminger (1495-1567)
7. O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß
Stimmwerck
(CD: “Die helle Sonn leuchtet – Deutsche Kirchenlieder” – CPO 777 792-2, 2013 (6); Leonhard Paminger, “Geistliche Vokalwerke” – Christophorus CHR 77331, 2010 (7))
Hans Leo Hassler
8. O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß
9. Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr
Currende conducted by Erik Van Nevel
(CD: see 2)
additionally:
Hans Leo Hassler
10. Versus no 5
Manuel Tomadin, organ
(CD: “Complete Organ Music” – Brilliant Classics 95331, 2022)
Pictured above: The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden (ca.1400-1464)
