Psalms and Musical adaptation

Ben

I am gearing up to teach a class on Psalms. I'm looking for a
resource or list that can help me find medieval/classical adaptions of
Psalms, like Allegri's Miserere Mei (Psalm 51), etc. Basically, if it's
in English, it's too new.

Anyone know of anything like that?

HJ. van der Wal

Ben said:

Basically, if it's
in English, it's too new.

The first resource that comes to my mind is a book in German:

Sönke Remmert, Bibeltexte in der Musik. Ein Verzeichnis ihrer Vertonungen [Dienst am Wort 74] Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1996.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/391571#Comment_391571

http://musicasacra.com/

or the blog et.al. at http://religiousaffections.org/articles/articles-on-music/ancient-and-early-medieval-settings-of-psalm-130/ would provide some hints  or useful links at http://www.music.princeton.edu/chant_html/ You should be able to trace other sources from these. If you want a list of recordings in various styles of chant let me know.

BKMitchell

Ben said:I am gearing up to teach a class on Psalms. I'm looking for a
resource or list that can help me find medieval/classical adaptions of
Psalms,

Hello Ben,

take a look at the following. This is the first line of Psalms one, notice the symbols in red. Those red symbols are notation called te'amim in Hebrew and in English called cantillation marks. These markets are used for chanting the Bible.

For, MP3's of Traditional adaptions of the te'amim above go to:

1. http://torahforme.org/
2. Then scroll down till you see Tehilim Lein and click on the linked phrase which will bring up MP3 files of some one Leining(chanting) the Tehilim (Psalms) in Hebrew

Also, the fabulous  Chanting the Hebrew Bible The Complete Guide to the Art of Cantillation (link) By Joshua R. Jacobson will be of help, too!

 

 

If, you're in need of something cheaper then try The Art of Cantillation, Vol. 2: A Step-By-Step Guide to Chanting Haftarot and Mgilot with CD (Audio) Josee Wolff Marshall Portnoy  this covers the tunes and the musical notation used for chanting books outside of the Torah, like the Psalms.

 

For, Classical adaptions from the Baroque period  you must try searching on Salamone Rossi.

Here are a few of his Psalms adaptions:

 

Haleluyah. Ashrei ish yare et
Adonai (8v) Ps.112 -- Milnes Vol.I,

• Haleluyah.
  Haleli nafshi (4v) Ps.146 -- Milnes Vol.I,
  

• Haleluyah.
  Ode Adonai (8v) Ps.111 -- Milnes Vol.I,
  

• Lamnatseah 'al hasheminit
  (3v) Ps.12 -- Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Mizmor
  le'Asaf. Elohim nitsav (3v) Ps.82 -- Milnes Vol.I,
  

• Mizmor
  leDavid. Havu l'Adonai (6v) Ps.29 -- Milnes Vol.I,
  

• Mizmor
  letoda (5v) Ps.100 -- Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Mizmor
  shir leyom hashabat (6v) Ps.92 -- Milnes Vol.I,
  

• Odekha
  ki'anitani (6v) Ps.118:21-24 -- Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Shir
  hama'alot. Ashrei kol yere Adonai (3v) Ps.128 -- Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Shir
  hama'alot. Ashrei kol yere Adonai (5v) Ps.128 -- Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Shir
  hama'alot. Ashrei kol yere Adonai (6v) Ps.128 -- Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Shir
  hama'alot. Beshuv Adonai (5v) Ps.126 - Milnes Vol.II,
  

• Shir
  hama'alot leDavid. Lulei Adonai (6v) Ps.124 Milnes Vol.II,
  

 

Check out (You can find these on CD at Amazon.com or you can listen to them on Youtube

The Songs of Solomon, Volume
1: Music for the Sabbath. Pro Gloria Musicae PGM 108

Salamone Rossi: The Songs of Solomon Vol. 2: Holiday and Festival Music by Rossi, New York Baroque and Milnes
(1997)

Salamone Rossi: The Songs of Solomon, Vol. 2 by Salomone Rossi, Edward Brewer, Kathy Theil, Bente Vist and Mark Bleeke
(2001)

 

And of course try:

Chants Mystique: Hidden Treasures Of A Living Tradition CD by Alberto Mizrahi