Gregorio Allegri (1582 – 17 February 1652) was an
Italian composer of the Roman School and brother of
Domenico Allegri; he was also a priest and a singer. He
lived mainly in Rome, where he would later die.
By far the most well known and regarded piece of music
composed by Allegri is the Miserere mei, Deus, a
setting of Vulgate Psalm 50 (= Psalm 51). It is written
for two choirs, the one of five and the other of four
voices, and has obtained considerable celebrity. One of
the choirs s...(+)
Gregorio Allegri (1582 – 17 February 1652) was an
Italian composer of the Roman School and brother of
Domenico Allegri; he was also a priest and a singer. He
lived mainly in Rome, where he would later die.
By far the most well known and regarded piece of music
composed by Allegri is the Miserere mei, Deus, a
setting of Vulgate Psalm 50 (= Psalm 51). It is written
for two choirs, the one of five and the other of four
voices, and has obtained considerable celebrity. One of
the choirs sings a simple fauxbordon based on the
original plainsong chant for the Tonus peregrinus; the
other choir sings a similar fauxbordon with
pre-existing elaborations and the use of cadenzas. The
Miserere has for many years been sung annually during
Holy Week in the Sistine Chapel. Many have cited this
work as an example of the stile antico (old style) or
prima pratica (first practice). However, its constant
use of the dominant seventh chord and its emphasis on
polychoral techniques certainly put it out of the range
of prima pratica. A more accurate comparison would be
to the works of Giovanni Gabrieli.
Miserere mei, Deus is a setting of Psalm 51 composed
during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during
the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins
as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Wednesday
and Friday of Holy Week. It was the last of twelve
misereres composed and chanted at the service since
1514 and the most popular: at some point, it became
forbidden to transcribe the music and it was only
allowed to be performed at those particular services,
adding to the mystery surrounding it. Writing it down
or performing it elsewhere was punishable by
excommunication.
Although originally written for Chorus (SSAATTB), I
created this arrangement for Woodwind Quintet (Flute,
Oboe, Bb Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon).
SHEET MUSIC