Verbum bonum et suave (Adrian Willaert)

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• (Posted 2023-12-03)  CPDL #77795:       

Editor: Bert Schreuder (submitted 2023-12-03).   Score information: A4, 18 pages, 522 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Transcribed from the Gardano partbooks of 1542, and the Petrucci partbooks from 1519 and 1526 at original pitch, note values halved. The quinta vox doesn't go below g, so it could be sung by alto's, making it an SATTTB piece.

General Information

Title: Verbum bonum et suave
Composer: Adrian Willaert
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 6vv   Voicing: STTTTB
Genre: Sacred, Motet

Language: Latin
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1519
Description: This piece has become famous because of the anecdote attached to it: when the singers of the Papal chapel, who sang it regularly and loved it, heard from the visiting Willaert that it was not by Josquin, as they believed, but by him, they didn't want to sing it anymore. Willaert's pupil Zarlino related this story in his 'Le istitutioni harmoniche'.

Original text and translations

Latin text

Verbum bonum et suave,
Personemus illud Ave,
Per quod Christi fit conclave,
Virgo mater filia.

Per quod Ave salutata
Mox concepit fecundata,
Virgo David stirpe nata,
Inter spinas lilia.

Ave, veri Salomonis
Mater, vellus Gedeonis,
Cuius Magi tribus donis
Laudant puerperium. Alleluia.

Ave, solem genuisti,
Ave, prolem protulisti,
mundo lapso contulisti
vitam et imperium.

Ave, sponsa verbi summi,
maris portus, signum dumi,
aromatum, virga fumi,
angelorum domina.

Supplicamus, nos emenda,
emendatos nos commenda
tuo natu ad habenda
sempiterna gaudia. Alleluia. Amen.