♫ Circumdederunt me
© Signum Records SIGCD626
This Antiphon is used in the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum and set by Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla for six voices (SSAATB). The Circumdederunt is often especially used by Spanish and Portuguese composers in the Office of the Dead like Cristobal de Morales (c.1500-1553), Pedro Fernandez (1483-1547), Aires Fernandez (16th C.), Juan de Avila ( 16th C.), Hernando Franco (1532-1585), Sebastián de Vivanco (c.1551-1622), Bartolomeo Trosylho (1500-1567), the German Balthasar de Senarius (c.1485-1544) and even Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594), Jacob Regnart (1540-1599) and William Byrd (1543-1623) did. The settings by Jacobus Clemens and Philippus de Monte have until yet not been judged in this context. As we saw this Antiphon is set by them all as an invitatory Antiphon for the Office of the Dead. On the other hand the interesting plainchant Circumdederunt is often used in chansons, motets, parody masses, elegies and even used in the splendid Requiem Mass by the Jean Richafort (c.1480-c.1547) a composer belonging to the third Netherlandish generation. Even the Cirumdederunt is an Introit in Dominica Septuagesima.
This Antiphon is chosen and set by Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla as an invitatory antiphon (Motet) used at Matins of the Dead or at the Office of the Dead.
This motet Circumdederunt is written in an vast polyphonic imitative flowing style. De Padilla didn’t use the second verse, “Tribulationem”, placed between brackets by us see the Text below but in stead of that de Padilla uses the first sentence of verse 7 out of Psalm 17 starting with “Et in tribulatione”.
This motet contains 72 bars and starts with Altus, followed by Tenor, Cantus 1, Cantus 2 and Bassus.
De Padilla uses some accidentals and this piece is full of strength and dignity and shows the thoroughly polyphonic style of the old Spain in which Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla has grown up before heading for the New World, Mexico.
This six-part Circumdederunt me, is found in Puebla Cathedral, Libros de Coro XV, part 2, folios147v-150r.
Text:
R. Circumdederunt me dolores mortis et pericula inferni invenerunt me.
V. Et in tribulatione mea invocavi Dominum, et clamavi ad Deum meum clamavi.
(V. Tribulationem et dolorem inveni, et nomen Domini invocavi.)
(V. O Domine, libera animam meam et convertere in requiem tuam.)
Translation:
R. The anguish of death surrounds me; and the pains of hell hold upon me.
V. In my affliction I have called upon the Lord and to my God I cried.
(V. met with trouble and sorrow, and I called upon the name of the Lord.)
(V. O Lord, deliver my soul, and return unto thy rest.)