Requiem Mass of 1675

Last night I attended an All Soul's Day concert with my dad at the St. Mary's Cathedral. There were lots of singers and they were dressed all in black. There were a few interesting instruments including a theorbo which is similar to a huge guitar or banjo, and is in the lute family. It has 14 strings and is 6 feet tall. The painting on the right shows a woman playing a theorbo. There was also a man playing a viola da gamba which is another stringed instrument, like a cello or violin. There was also an organist performing on a portative organ.

The piece we heard was the Requiem Mass of 1675 (written 331 years ago) by Francesco Cavalli. Some of the music was quick and some of it was pretty slow. There were many "parts" to the piece. There were two choirs performing; sometimes they sang together, sometimes there was a soloist singing, sometimes only the men or only the women of both choirs sang.

For example, only the men sang the Gregorian Chant Gradual:

Eternal rest grant unto them, Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. In everlasting memory the just man will remain, upon hearing of evil things he shall not fear.

Following that both choirs sang together and alternating the long Sequence. I did fall asleep a little bit at the very end of the whole piece, during the restful words of the In Paradisum:

May the angels lead you into paradise:
May the martyrs receive you and lead
you into that most holy city of Jerusalem.
By the choir of angels be received, and
with poor Lazarus may you have eternal rest.

I thought I went so I could stay up past my bedtime, but I did end up enjoying the music. You can learn more about Francesco Cavalli
who died the year after he composed this Requiem.

This is similar to the portative organ I saw and heard last night.

~Post submitted by Firstborn
A.M.D.G.