Psaume 92: O que c'est chose belle
from Doulce mémoire by Mignarda
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This setting of Psaume 92 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 O que c'est chose belle 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 O que c'est chose belle 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
O que c'est chose belle
De te loüer, Seigneur,
Et du Tres-haut l'honneur
Chanter d'vn coeur fidele,
Preschant à la venuë
Du matin ta bonté,
Et ta fidelité
Quand la nuict est venuë.
Sur la douce musique
Du Manichordion,
Luc & Psalterion,
Et Harpe magnifique.
Ioye au coeur m'ont liuree,
Tes ouurages tressainctes,
Dont és faicts de tes mains
Il faut que me recree.
O, it is something beautiful
to praise thee, Lord,
And a very high honor
to sing with a faithful heart,
Preaching your goodness
at the approach of morning
And your faithfulness
when the night comes.
On the sweet music
From Manichordion,
Lute & Psalterion,
And a magnificent harp.
Ye to the heart have bound me,
Your good works,
Which are made with your hands
I must recreate me.
De te loüer, Seigneur,
Et du Tres-haut l'honneur
Chanter d'vn coeur fidele,
Preschant à la venuë
Du matin ta bonté,
Et ta fidelité
Quand la nuict est venuë.
Sur la douce musique
Du Manichordion,
Luc & Psalterion,
Et Harpe magnifique.
Ioye au coeur m'ont liuree,
Tes ouurages tressainctes,
Dont és faicts de tes mains
Il faut que me recree.
O, it is something beautiful
to praise thee, Lord,
And a very high honor
to sing with a faithful heart,
Preaching your goodness
at the approach of morning
And your faithfulness
when the night comes.
On the sweet music
From Manichordion,
Lute & Psalterion,
And a magnificent harp.
Ye to the heart have bound me,
Your good works,
Which are made with your hands
I must recreate me.
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
all rights reserved
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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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