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Behold, how joyful!

The Brabant Ensemble

Behold, how joyful!

Format: CD
Label: Signum Classics
UPC: 0635212004524
Catnr: SIGCD 045
Release date: 01 September 2004
1 CD
 
Label
Signum Classics
UPC
0635212004524
Catalogue number
SIGCD 045
Release date
01 September 2004
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN
NL

About the album

Like many of even the most prolific and celebrated composers of the sixteenth century, Jacobus Clemens non Papa (‘not the Pope’) has offered the history books little factual material with which to work. In contrast to the paucity of biographical material, however, many sources of Clemens' music survive. Indeed, he is one of the most widely published musicians of the entire century with fifteen Masses, over two hundred motets, many Dutch psalms and French chansons to his name.

This disc features the Mass Ecce quam bonum, which is based on Clemen’s own motet setting of Psalm 133, ‘Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is: brethren, to dwell together in unity!’

Apart from that on which the Mass setting is modelled, all of the motets on this disc are in five parts, although their textures are varied. Pascha nostrum sets the text of the Easter Anthem. The Song of Song’s motet Veni electa mea is highly characteristic of mid-sixteenth century spirituality, with the eroticism of the Song of Songs harnessed to provide a metaphor for the Church as bride of Christ. Accesserunt ad Jesum introduces Jesus’s admonition to the Pharisees concerning the estate of marriage. In Job tonso capite, a highly emotive narration of Job accepting his many trials, Clemen’s delivers an immediate approach to word-painting.

The final piece on this disc, Carole, Magnus eras is a secular work: a state motet addressed to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his son, Philip II of Spain. Since the text celebrates the achievements of the Emperor but promises even greater things under his son, it was probably composed at the time of Philip’s investiture as Regent of the Low Countries in 1549.

Bijzondere uitvoeringen van Clemens non Papa
Jacobus Clemens non Papa heeft voor de moderne biografieën en geschiedenisboeken maar weinig materiaal geboden waarmee ze kunnen werken. Maar, in tegenstelling tot de schaarste aan biografisch materiaal, zijn er wel veel bronnen met zijn muziek overgeleverd. Sterker nog, in zijn tijd was Clemens een van de musici wiens werk het meest gepubliceerd werd, met vijftien Missen, meer dan 200 motetten, en veel Nederlandse Psalmen en Franse chansons op zijn naam.

Dit album bevat zijn Mis Ecce quam bonum, gebaseerd op zijn eigen motetbewerking van Psalm 133. Alle motetten op het album zijn vijfstemming, met enkele variaties in de textuur. Pascha nostrum is gebaseerd op de tekst van de Paashymnen. Veni electa mea, een motet gebaseerd op het Hooglied, is spiritueel gezien zeer typerend voor het midden van de 16e eeuw. Het erotische element van het Hooglied wordt benut voor een metafoor van de kerk als de bruid van Christus. Accesserunt ad Jesum is verdeeld over drie secties, wat ongebruikelijk is. De derde sectie introduceert Jezus’ waarschuwing aan de Farizeeërs betreffende de staat van het huwelijk. In Job tonso capite, een zeer ontroerende vertelling van Job die zijn vele beproevingen accepteert, levert Clemens een rechtstreekse aanpak tot woordschildering. Het laatste werk op het album, Carole, Magnus eras is wereldlijk. Het is een staatsmotet opgedragen aan Karel V, Koning van het Heilige Roomse Rijk, en zijn zoon Filips II van Spanje.

De uitvoerenden, het Brabant Ensemble, staan bekend om hun bijzondere uitvoeringen van vroege geestelijke muziek, en richten zich vooral op 16e-eeuws repertoire.

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Jacobus Clemens non Papa

Jacobus Clemens non Papa was a Renaissance composer from the Franco-Flemish school. The story goes he gave the nickname 'non papa' to himself, so people could differentiate him from the Ypres poet Clemens Papa (Clément de Paepe). The pope, too, (which in Latin is called 'papa') was named Clemens at that time. However, considering that Pope Clement VII died in 1534, before any of Clemens's music was published, and that the confusion with the poet is unlikely in that the surnames were quite distinct, it is likely that the nickname was merely created in jest rather than for practical reasons. Nonetheless, the suffix has remained throughout the ages. Little is known of his life. He came from one of the seventeen...
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Jacobus Clemens non Papa was a Renaissance composer from the Franco-Flemish school. The story goes he gave the nickname "non papa" to himself, so people could differentiate him from the Ypres poet Clemens Papa (Clément de Paepe). The pope, too, (which in Latin is called 'papa') was named Clemens at that time. However, considering that Pope Clement VII died in 1534, before any of Clemens's music was published, and that the confusion with the poet is unlikely in that the surnames were quite distinct, it is likely that the nickname was merely created in jest rather than for practical reasons. Nonetheless, the suffix has remained throughout the ages.
Little is known of his life. He came from one of the seventeen provinces of the current Belgium or the Netherlands (perhaps Zeeland). His first compositions was published in 1536. In 1544 he stayed in Brughes for a year, after which he started a business relationship with the publisher Tielman Susato from Antwerp, who woud publish most of his works until his death. Between 1545 and 1549 he probably was choirmaster to Philippe de Croy, Duke of Aerschot, one of Charles V's greatest generals, where he preceded Nicolas Gombert. According to Antonius Sanderus he was buried at Diksmuide near Ypres in present-day Belgium.
Unlike his contemporaries, Clemens never went to Italy. His style has remained "northern" without Italian influences. He composed a large number of works, among which 15 masses, more than 200 motets and 4 books with in total 159 psalms in Dutch (Souterliedekens). These were published by Tielman Susato in Antwerp.


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01.
Ecce quam bonum
03:32
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
02.
Quod decendit
03:02
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
03.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Kyrie
01:18
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
04.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Christe
01:03
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
05.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Kyrie
01:25
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
06.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Gloria in excelsis
02:25
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
07.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Qui tollis
02:42
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
08.
Accesserunt ad Jesum
02:33
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
09.
Non legistis
01:47
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
10.
Propter hoc
03:14
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
11.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Credo in unum Deum
03:55
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
12.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Et resurrexit
00:58
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
13.
Missa Ecce quam bonum - : Et iterum
03:07
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
14.
Job tonso capite
04:30
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
15.
Dominus dedit
03:55
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
16.
Missa Ecce quam bonum -: Sanctus
01:41
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
17.
Missa Ecce quam bonum -: Osanna
01:03
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
18.
Missa Ecce quam bonum -: Benedictus
01:35
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
19.
Missa Ecce quam bonum -: Osanna
01:05
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
20.
Veni electa mea
02:56
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
21.
Audi filia et vide
02:51
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
22.
Missa Ecce quam bonum -: Agnus Dei I
03:02
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
23.
Missa Ecce quam bonum -: Agnus Dei II
03:18
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
24.
Pascha nostrum
03:34
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
25.
Haec est dies
02:54
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
26.
Carole, magnus eras
03:14
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
27.
Nunc omnes
03:04
(Jacob Clemens ‘non Papa’) The Brabant Ensemble
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