♫ Libera me, Domine
© Herald HAVPCD 155
Text:
R. Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna in die illa tremenda
quando coeli movendi sunt et terra dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
V. Tremens factus sum ego et timeo, dum discussion venerit atque venture ira:
quando coeli movendi sunt et terra.
V. Dies irae, dies illa, calamitatis et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde.
R. Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
V. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine et lux perpetua luceat eis.
R. Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna in die illa tremenda.
Kyrië eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrië eleison.
Requiescat in pace.
Translation:
R. Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death, on that fearful day,
when the heavens and the earth are moved,
when you will come to judge the world through fire.
V. I am seized with fear and trembling, until the trial is at hand and the wrath to come:
when the heavens and earth shall be shaken.
V. That day, the day of wrath, calamity, and misery, that terrible, and exceedingly bitter day.
R. When you will come to judge the world through fire.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, Lord and may over lasting light shine upon them.
R. Deliver me, Lord and may over lasting light shine upon them.
O Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
May they rest in peace.
Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord
The ”Libera me, Domine de morte” is in general a plainchant from the Exsequiarum Ordo more specific a Responsorium sung during the final blessing of the coffin on its catafalque. This Libera me (there are four (4) plain-chant variations known) is an old Responsorium and sung in the part Absolutio super tulum and is published in the old Liber Usualis pages 1767 – 1768.
Following the text Fernandez uses the normal published text version as mentioned above.
This large motet “Libera me, Domine de morte aeterna” is written by Fernadez in short polyphonic settings for among others three voices up to five voices (SATTB) alternated with the known plainchant of this Respond. Fernandez uses polyphonic style in this “Libera me” but in a homophonic way set in different part-combinations. This Responsorium is long and in accordance with the Gregorian tradition part of the Respond in this case parts of the Repond “Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem “ and later on into the Repetitur “Libera me Domine de morte aeterna in die illa tremenda” is repeated, so did Fernandez. But in the performance on the CD is omitted the repeating of “quando coeli” up to “tremens” which is not normal in the plainchant, besides Fernandez set this part of the Respond.
In this moving music Fernandez paints subtle in short items the horrors and pains of the final Judgment Day. This Respond is directly followed by a three fold Kyrië eleison in homophonic style alternated with the belonging plainchant. With an introvert deep moving homophonic “Requiescat in pace” ends this “Libera me, Domine de morte”. Nearly all manuscipts by Fernandez have been found in the Royal Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra and now preserved in Coimbra University Library.