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Penitential Psalms (Lasso)

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description Penitential Psalms (Lasso) Overview

The Penitential Psalms by Orlando di Lasso are Renaissance polyphonic settings of the seven psalms traditionally associated with repentance. Probably composed around 1560 for the court of Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria, they were initially preserved in an elaborately illustrated manuscript and were not printed until after the duke's death. Written for five voices, the cycle demonstrates Lasso's close response to Latin texts through varied textures and expressive counterpoint.

help Penitential Psalms (Lasso) FAQ

Which seven psalms did Orlando di Lasso set?

The cycle sets Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143 under the numbering familiar from many modern Bibles. These are the seven texts traditionally grouped in Western Christianity as the Penitential Psalms.

Why were Lasso's Penitential Psalms not published immediately?

Lasso composed them for Duke Albrecht V's Bavarian court, and the duke reportedly reserved the music for private use. They reached print only after both men had died, in an edition issued in 1584.

What is special about the manuscript of Lasso's Penitential Psalms?

The court manuscript was copied and richly illuminated by Hans Mielich. Its miniatures document musicians, court life, biblical imagery, and the ceremonial world of Munich under Albrecht V.

Are the Penitential Psalms one continuous choral work?

They form a cycle, but each psalm is divided into sections corresponding to verses or groups of verses. Lasso generally writes for five voices and concludes the collection with two settings of the Laudate psalms.

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