Peccavi super numerum, a Requiem motet.
Source: | booklet of cd PentaTone PTC 5186 948 |
♫ Peccavi super numerum
© PentaTone PTC 5186 948
Peccavi super Numerum is a plainchant from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum.
There are about 138 Responsoria de Officium Defunctorum known and used during centuries in the Office of the Dead. They are all well-ordered. The Peccavi super numerum is number 69. This Respond is known in the series of Lyon, but the Respond of Lyon has another Versicle no. 170, instead of the used Versicle by De Wert (no. 190). The Versicle ‘Quoniam iniquitatem’ is verse 4 out of Psalm 50 which is used in the Office of the Dead (Liber Usualis ed. 1936 page 1800). The first part of this Respond is out of the apocryphal Prayer of Manasseh. De Wert uses the normal Repetition of the last sentence of the Respond Quoniam irritavi fram tuam etc. which is normal in the use of a whole Respond in the liturgy. This text is composed for six voices (SSATTTB) by the South-Netherlandish composer Giaches de Wert as a motet. It is a very long motet which consists out of 164 bars. De Wert starts in the first five bars in a homophonic way and continues thereafter with an interesting imitative polyphonic style. The words “et non sum dignus videre altitudinem caeli, and I am not worthy to view the height of heaven” (Bars 22-33) are set in all parts in an ascending chromatic way. In the “Quoniam irritavi iram tuam, because I have provoked your wrath” ( Bars 47-58) you hear the irritation and the provocation painted in the lively short figured notes. De Wert underlines the importance of the words “et malum coram te fecit, and done evil in your sight” in all parts with all descending brevi. (Long notes in bars 58-68). The first part ends in G-Dorian. The second part the Versicle “Quoniam” starts with imitative polyphonic style. The words “ego cognosco, my transgression” are set in an interesting polychoral style (Bars 94-101). The repetition of the last part of the Respond (as from bar 129) in the Versicle is even musically identic to that last same part and words of the Respond. The second part ends in G-Dorian. Only Cantus1 and Cantus 2 have changed places with their notes compared to the Respond. In this imposing motet you hear the great skills of one of the masters of the fifth South-Netherlandish generation Giaches de Wert. This setting was published in Modulationem cum sex vocibus, Liber primus (1581).
Text:
R. Peccávi súper númerum arénae máris,
et multiplicáta sunt peccáta méa:
et non sum dígnus vidére altitúdinem caéli,
prae multitúdine iniquitátis méae:
quóniam irritávi íram túam, et málum córam te féci.
V. Quóniam iniquitátem méam égo cognósco,
et delíctum méum cóntra me est sémper,
tíbi sóli peccávi,
R. quóniam irritávi íram túam, et málum córam te féci.
Translation:
R. I have sinned beyond the number of the sands of the sea,
and my sins have multiplied:
and I am not worthy to view the height of heaven,
for the multitude of my iniquity:
because I have provoked your wrath, and done evil in your sight.
V. Because I know my iniquity, and my transgression
is always against me,
I have sinned against you alone,
R. because I have provoked your wrath, and done evil in your sight.