Psaume 69: Helas Seigneur
from Doulce mémoire by Mignarda
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This setting of Psaume 69 is by Nicolas Vallet (c. 1583 – 1642), arranged for solo voice and lute and published in his Vingt et un Pseaumes de David (1615). Vallet, an expatriate French Huguenot, spent most of his active career in Amsterdam and lived just around the corner from the Oude Kerk where the famous Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 – 1621) was organist. Vallet's compositional approach to variations on psalm tunes bears strong similarity to the body of keyboard variations on psalm tunes by Sweelinck.
Jean Calvin's Pseaumes de David (1562) was the first complete edition of all 150 versified psalms, with texts by Clément Marot and Théodore de Bèze and tunes attributed to Loys Bourgeois, although other plain and polyphonic settings of selected psalms appeared earlier. Adrian Le Roy's Tiers livre de tabulature de luth, contenant vingt & un Pseaulmes, Le tout selon le subjet (1552) initiated what became a very popular trend of printed psalm settings for the lute, arranged as instrumental solos with variations or set for voice and lute, and aimed at domestic audiences. The trend continued well into the 17th century and reached a high level of refinement with the settings by Nicolas Vallet (c1583 – 1642).
The text for Helas Seigneur was versified in French by Calvinist Théodore de Bèze (1519 – 1605). Vallet appears to have based his selection of texts for Vingt et un Pseaumes on Les Pseaumes de David, mis en rime françoise par Clément Marot et Théodore de Besze. Nouuellement imprimez. suivis de : La forme des prieres ecclesiastiques de Jean Calvin. [Genève]: Pour Iean Lertout; De l'Imprimerie de François Forestz, 1589. Our versions of texts for the two psaume settings by Vallet on our album are edited from a facsimile of Lertout's 1589 print, with English translations by Donna Stewart.
Jean Calvin's Pseaumes de David (1562) was the first complete edition of all 150 versified psalms, with texts by Clément Marot and Théodore de Bèze and tunes attributed to Loys Bourgeois, although other plain and polyphonic settings of selected psalms appeared earlier. Adrian Le Roy's Tiers livre de tabulature de luth, contenant vingt & un Pseaulmes, Le tout selon le subjet (1552) initiated what became a very popular trend of printed psalm settings for the lute, arranged as instrumental solos with variations or set for voice and lute, and aimed at domestic audiences. The trend continued well into the 17th century and reached a high level of refinement with the settings by Nicolas Vallet (c1583 – 1642).
The text for Helas Seigneur was versified in French by Calvinist Théodore de Bèze (1519 – 1605). Vallet appears to have based his selection of texts for Vingt et un Pseaumes on Les Pseaumes de David, mis en rime françoise par Clément Marot et Théodore de Besze. Nouuellement imprimez. suivis de : La forme des prieres ecclesiastiques de Jean Calvin. [Genève]: Pour Iean Lertout; De l'Imprimerie de François Forestz, 1589. Our versions of texts for the two psaume settings by Vallet on our album are edited from a facsimile of Lertout's 1589 print, with English translations by Donna Stewart.
lyrics
Helas, Seigneur, ie te pri' sauue moy :
Car les eaux m'ont saisi iusques à l'ame,
Et au bourbièr tres-profond & infame,
Sans fond ne riue enfondré ie me voy.
Ainsi plongé l'eau m'emporte, tant las
De m'escrier, que i'en ay gorge seche :
Et de mon Dieu attendant le soulas,
De mes deux yeux la vigueur se desseche.
Alas, Lord, I pray you, save me :
For the waters are come into my soul,
And in the mire of deep disgrace
My way is bottomless, shoreless, sinking.
Although plunged in water, swept away,
So weary of my crying, my throat is dry
And as I wait for God's solace
My eyes fail.
English translation by Donna Stewart.
Car les eaux m'ont saisi iusques à l'ame,
Et au bourbièr tres-profond & infame,
Sans fond ne riue enfondré ie me voy.
Ainsi plongé l'eau m'emporte, tant las
De m'escrier, que i'en ay gorge seche :
Et de mon Dieu attendant le soulas,
De mes deux yeux la vigueur se desseche.
Alas, Lord, I pray you, save me :
For the waters are come into my soul,
And in the mire of deep disgrace
My way is bottomless, shoreless, sinking.
Although plunged in water, swept away,
So weary of my crying, my throat is dry
And as I wait for God's solace
My eyes fail.
English translation by Donna Stewart.
credits
from Doulce mémoire,
released September 3, 2021
Donna Stewart, voice
Ron Andrico, lute
Recorded at the Lava Room, Beachwood, OH
Engineer, Chris Ebbert
Lute by Nico Van Der Waals, courtesy of Glen Yasharian
Donna Stewart, voice
Ron Andrico, lute
Recorded at the Lava Room, Beachwood, OH
Engineer, Chris Ebbert
Lute by Nico Van Der Waals, courtesy of Glen Yasharian
license
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about
Mignarda Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Mignarda specializes in thoughtful programming illuminating the vibrant mingling of renaissance music & poetry. Noted for awakening modern audiences to an appreciation for historical music, their work encompasses concertizing, teaching & recording, with 17 critically-acclaimed CDs, a series of 16 music editions, scholarly articles, reviews and the internationally-popular blog, Unquiet Thoughts. ... more
discography
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Jun 2022 -
Sep 2021 -
Apr 2021 -
Nov 2020
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