This sequentia “Dies Irae” is the text from the sequence out of the Missa pro defunctis, Mass of the Dead, (liber Usualis edition 1936, page 1810-1813). This famous text and melody is set by Pompeo Cannicciari for plainchant, choir with four voices (SATB) and a choir with eight voices (two choirs SATBxSATB). The probable fourth alternation is not available for us. Unfortunately we couldn’t find a full Missa pro defunctis by de Cannicciari in the sources searched. We suppose Jacobus de Kerle (c.1531-1591) was the second Netherlandish to set the sequence “Dies Irae”, in a polyphonic alternating setting. Since 1570 the Dies Irae was added to the Mass of the Dead in the Liber Usualis. De Kerle was involved in de Council of Trent and took knowledge of the developments there and the concluded implementation of the Dies Irae in the Office of the Dead. One of the most famous melodies of the Gregorian Chant is traditionally ascribed to Tommaso da Celano (c.1200 – c.1270), but nowadays usually attributed to an unknown Franciscan of that period. The piece is based upon Zep 1:14-16, a reflection upon the final judgment day. It was removed from the ordinary form of the Roman Rite mass in the liturgical reform of 1969–1970. We mention too earlier settings by Engarandus Juvenis (found in the Staffarda Codex), Antoine Brumel (c.1460-c.1513) and a polyphonic setting of “Pie Jesu Domine” by de Morales (c.1500-1553). We examined unfortunately a incomplete fragment of the Sequentia pro Defunctis from 1713, no. 138, set by Cannicciari. But there is an Autograph manuscript from 1697 found of this Sequentia pro Defunctis. This work is one of the examples of alternation between the known plainchant in verse 4 (Mors stupebit), 8 (Rex tremendae), 12 (Ingemisco) and 16 (Confutatis) and we suppose a chorus SATB in verse 2 (Quantus tremor) and a Chorus (Coro1 SATB x Coro2 SATB) in verse 3 (Tuba mirum). That’s what we see in the score, an autograph manuscript by Cannicciari. In the score we see the frequent repetition of the belonging plainchant in the verses mentioned above (verses 4, 8, 12, 16) a fragment of a separate SATB chorus and the full setting of a chorus SATB x SATB. The last chorus is set homophonic and the first chorus SATB more imitative. In our opinion we are missing in this case the setting of the verses 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, it could be an organ-part and of course the full setting of the first chorus SATB. There should be an organ-part available in conformity with RISM. That means the Chorus SATB setting is used in verses 2, 6,10, 14,18 and the Chorus SATB x SATB setting is used in the verses 3, 7, 11, 15, 19. Normally the Verses 20 and 21 are set for a closing chorus. That part of the score is not available. Cannicciari uses in the polychoral setting the modus C 3/2. As already mentioned before we could not examine the full score of this Dies Irae. See for the text of the Dies Irae the Latin the text version at the start of this large website, button latin text. This work is found in | Sequentia pro Defunctis | Pompeo Cannicciari | 1697, Coro 1: S, A, T, B, Coro 2: S, A, T, B, org. Autograph manuscript: 1697 (1697); and in Cannicciari. Sequentia pro Defunctis. à 4. Ag.o 1713, score: 2f. Autograph manuscript: 1713 (1713)

In on the 21st of February 1730 Pope Benedictus XIII died. On that occasion Pompeo Cannicciari set a four-parts funeral motet SATB ‘Credo, quod Redemptor’ for his salvation. In the head of this score Cannicciari wrote: Responsorij a 4 per il trasporto del Corpo del Sommo Pontefice Benedetto XIII Musica di D. Pompeo Canniciari, Responds à 4 at the transportation of the body of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XIII music by Pompeo Cannicciari. This music sounded on that occasion. As we know and often mentioned here, the Respond Credo quod redemptor meus vivit (after Lectio I) and others are an integral part of the Officium Defunctorum Ad Matutinum, Office of the Dead ad Matins as published in the Liber Usualis (edition 1936, p.1772-1787). At this stage we don’t know whether or not Pompeo Cannicciari set a fully Office of the Dead. As we saw in the Renaissance period more composers have set parts or the whole Officium defunctorum we mention out of the Renaissance Giosoffo Zarlino (1517-1590), Giovanni Asola (ca.1528-1609), Estêvâo de Brito (c.1570 - 1641), Lodovico da Viadana (1564 - 1627), Duarte Lôbo -Latin: Eduardus Lupus- (ca.1565 - 1646), Marco da Gagliano (1582 - 1642), Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi (ca.1554 – 1622), Filipe de Magalhães (ca.1571 – 1652), Sebastián de Vivanco (ca.1551 - 1622), Orlandus Lassus- (1532 - 1594), Christobal de Morales (ca.1500 - 1553), Giovanni da Palestrina (1525-1594, Francisco Garro (ca. 1580-1660) and Juan Vasquez (ca.1510 - 1560). A Respond “Credo quod Redemptor” is a motet from the Responsorium de Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum. In general a Respond from Matins of the Office of the Dead. While we examined carefully the score we ascertained Cannicciari has set really three fragments (the first part of each Respond) out of three funeral Responds with a closing Requiem aeternam allout of The Office of the Dead together. This funeral motet consists out of the first two sentences of each Respond, merged together by Cannicciari of Credo quod redemptor meus vivit, Qui Lazarum, and Domine quando veneris and a closing Requiem aeternam,. In fact this motet has four movements. Those three Responds and the Requiem aeternam are all part of the first Nocturn of the Office of the dead. It’s very special Cannicciari did so. We never saw it before. All the belonging Verses of those Responds are omitted by Cannicciari to create one great work in honouring Pope Benedict XIII at his funeral. It is generally known the Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four Papal Basilica in Rome and is under the fully direct jurisdiction of the Pope. Cannicciari was at that time maestro di cappella of the Santa Maria Maggiore! In general the Credo quod Redemptor, Qui Lazarum and Domine quando veneris are old Responds and still used and published in the old Liber Usualis (Edition 1936, page 1785-1787) and sung after Lesson I - Lectio primo -, lesson II – Lectio II- and Lesson III – Lectio III- out of the Office of the Dead in the first Nocturn. As member of the Roman School Cannicciari sets this motet in a way you can hear the text really well. Of course there is much Baroque texture in this composition. In general the style of Cannicciari in this special funeral motet is throughout this piece an alternation between solo and tutti (solo and ripieno, see Ms. 1-20 tutti; Ms. 20-27 solo; Ms. 28-38 tutti; Ms. 38-49 solo; Ms. 49-65 tutti). Cannicciari starts this motet homophonic in modus ₵ with ‘Credo’ in SATB, in fact the first Respond. In the words ‘de terra’ and in ‘videbo’ Cannicciari uses word-painting in paired-part descending quavers (“terra’) and descending and ascending quavers ‘videbo’ ending in G-major. In Ms. 20 he starts with the second Respond ‘Qui Lazarum’ in homophonic style with solo. As from Ms. 28 Cannicciari uses the triple modus 3/2, with lots of modulation (very moving in Ms. 30-33) with a striking dissonant-chord (in Ms. 32-3 g-f2-a1-b1) ending in D-major. In Ms. 38 Cannicciari starts again in modus ₵ with ‘Domine quando veneris’ the third Respond in a short imitative style ending homophonic in G-major at the words ‘mea vita,’ Ms. 52. Cannicciari ends this very special motet with an imitative ‘requiem aeternam’ with lots of quavers. In Ms. 62-63 he gives musically accents at the words ‘luceat eis’ in again modulations even in the second ‘luceat eis’ ending in a stilled D-major. This funeral motet imitatively written, with homophonic texture on this special occasion consists in total out of 65 Measures. This Motet is found in I. Composizioni | di | Tommaso Ludovico Vittoria | e di altri Compositori | della Cappella Pontificia | N.B. vi sono composizioni di | Maestri di altre Cappelle | Con fatica raccolte da F[ortunato] S[antini]. Et II. Responsorij a 4 | per il trasporto | del Corpo del Sommo Pontefice | Benedetto XIII | Musica | di D. Pompeo Canniciari MDCCXXX; III. [caption title:] Allerseelentag nur bei Beerdigungen. | Sammlung | ausgezeichneter Compositionen für den Kaiser. | "Credo quod redemptor meus vivit" | "Qui Lazarum resuscitasti" | "Domine, quando veneris" | für vier Stimmen | [crossed out:] Benedetto XIII. | Musica | von | Pompeo Canniciari. | [pencil:] München in der Bibliothek des Prinzen Manuskript N. 62 Copy 1800-1833.