557852bk Vivaldi US 3/16/06 2:29 PM Page 12

mundi et cordis alma spes.

Si non es lætitia plena

tantæ pompæ aura serena
kind hope of the world and the heart.

If you are not full of joy

let the serene air of such a ceremony
VIVALDI
sit dulcedo tuae mæstitiæ
et in te solum sint mille deliciæ.
be the sweetness of your sorrow
and may a thousand delights be yours alone. Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600
™ Alleluia. Alleluia. Stabat Mater, RV 621 • Canta in prato, RV 623
Tracy Smith Bessette • Marion Newman
Aradia Ensemble • Kevin Mallon

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Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Sacred Music • 2 tympana et organa tambours and organs
Laudate pueri Dominum • Stabat Mater • Canta in prato • Claræ stellæ si agrestis fistula if the country pipe
invitat vos. invites you.
Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600 22:23
* Alleluia. Alleluia.
1 Laudate pueri Dominum 2:06
2 Sit nomen benedictum 2:45
3 A solis ortu 1:53
4 Excelsus super omnes gentes 2:58
Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625
5 Quis sicut Dominus 2:16
6 Suscitans a terra 1:25
( Aria
7 Ut collocet eum 1:50
Claræ stellæ, scintillate Bright stars, shine
8 Gloria Patri 3:24
et splendorem novum date and give new splendour
9 Laudate, pueri … Sicut erat in principio 1:47
huius diei tanto fulgori. to the brilliance of this day.
0 Amen 1:58
Mundus vivat in lætitias Let the world live in joys
Stabat Mater, RV 621 18:50
et mox habeat suas delicias and soon have its delights
! Stabat Mater dolorosa 13:30
tantæ pompæ suo decori. in its grace with such ceremony.
@ Eia Mater, fons amoris 2:46
# Fac, ut ardeat 1:39 ) Recitative
$ Amen 0:54 Cœli repleti iam novo splendore The heavens now are filled with new splendour
plaudunt in tanta die, And are glad at such a day
Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV 623 8:31 et simul terra arridit tota and at the same time the whole earth is happy
% Canta in prato 3:48 in tam solemni pompa. in so solemn a ceremony.
^ Sacra fulgescit 0:50 Dum festum celebratur While the feast is celebrated
& Avenæ rusticæ 2:20 almæ Visitationis of the blessed Visitation
* Alleluia 1:33 gaudeat etiam cor meum let my heart too rejoice
Mariam laudando et collaudando Deum. praising Mary and praising God.
Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625 11:09
( Claræ stellæ, scintillate 5:28 ¡ Aria
) Cœli repleti iam 0:49 Nunc iubilare, Now rejoice,
¡ Nunc iubilare 2:11 semper lætare always be happy
™ Alleluia 2:41 gaudio immenso with great joy
anima mea. my soul.

Et sit tibi iubilando, And for you let there be rejoicing,

et sit tibi memorando and let there be celebration

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# Fac, ut ardeat cor meum Grant that my heart may burn Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Sacred Music • 2
in amando Christum Deum in loving Christ, God, Laudate pueri Dominum • Stabat Mater • Canta in prato • Claræ stellæ
ut sibi complaceam. that I may please Him.
Known in his native Venice as the red priest, from the a performance of his oratorio Juditha triumphans in
$ Amen. Amen. inherited colour of his hair, Antonio Vivaldi was born in November 1716. In 1717 he left the Pietà and the next year
1678, the son of a barber who later served as a violinist at was in Mantua as maestro di cappella da camera to Prince
the great Basilica of St Mark. Vivaldi studied for the Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, Governor of Mantua from 1714
priesthood and was ordained in 1703. At the same time he to 1735. He renewed his connection with the Pietà in 1723.
Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV 623 won a reputation for himself as a violinist of phenomenal Various datings have been suggested for Vivaldi’s sacred
ability and was appointed violin-master at the Ospedale music. Those for the Pietà fall generally into the period after
% Aria della Pietà. This last was one of four such charitable Gasparini’s departure, from 1715 to 1717, and to a later
Canta in prato, ride in monte Sing in the meadow, laugh on the hill institutions, established for the education of orphan, period, from 1737 to 1739, when the position of maestro di
Philomena læta in fonte, Philomena happy in the fountain, indigent or illegitimate girls and boasting a particularly fine coro was again vacant.
vox respondeat exsultando. let her voice answer in exultation. musical tradition. Here the girls were trained in music, some Three settings by Vivaldi of the second Vespers Psalm
of the more talented continuing to serve there as assistant CXII, Laudate pueri Dominum survive. These may be
Et vox illa sit amœna And may that voice be pleasing teachers, earning the dowry necessary for marriage. presumed to have formed part of settings of Vespers
vox lætitiæ, nec tua pœna the voice of happiness, nor let your pain Vivaldi’s association with the Pietà continued intermittently intended for major events in the Church calendar, although
gaudia turbet deplorando disturb joys by weeping. throughout his life, from 1723 under a contract that this psalm is included in the office of Vespers on a number
provided for the composition of two new concertos every of occasions in the year, forming part of the group of psalms
^ Recitative month. At the same time he enjoyed a connection with the sung at Sunday Vespers. Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600,
Sacra fulgescit nobis The holy day shines bright for us, theatre, as the composer of some fifty operas, director and for soprano, strings and continuo, in C minor, follows its
digna communi gaudio optata dies the desired day, time for general joy, manager. He finally left Venice in 1741, travelling to energetic opening Allegro with a Largo E flat major setting
Pater beate, gaude Blessed Father, rejoice Vienna, where there seemed some possibility of furthering of Sit nomen Domini benedictum, accompanied by violins
cœlesti gloria tua, in your celestial glory his career under imperial patronage, or perhaps with the and violas. For A solis ortu, in G minor, the basso continuo
gaude sereno obsequio. rejoice in serene ceremony. idea of travelling on to the court at Dresden, where his pupil returns in a movement that calls for some vocal agility. The
Vos mortales, plaudite et exsultate, You mortals, clap your hands and be glad, Pisendel was working. He died in Vienna a few weeks after moving D minor Excelsus super omnes gentes, an Andante,
et si plaudunt in cœlo amœni chori, and if the happy choirs rejoice in heaven, his arrival in the city, in relative poverty. At one time he had includes a solo cello obbligato, while violins and violas
gaudeat et omnis vivens let every living thing rejoice been worth 50,000 ducats a year, it seemed, but now had remain silent. The key changes to A minor for Quis sicut
et semper plaudendo sacro honori. and always be glad in holy ceremony. little to show for it, as he arranged for the sale of some of Dominus, with its wide violin leaps, leading to the agitated
the music he had brought with him. opening of Suscitans a terra, with its contrasts of pace and
& Aria Vivaldi had started his service at the Pietà in 1703. The feeling, as the word suscitans suggests a mood of urgency.
Avenæ rusticæ Rustic reeds following years brought brief gaps in his tenure, but the Ut collocet eum, an Allegro in B flat major, is united by its
sinceri fervida teach us allegedly temporary departure in 1713 of Francesco repeated thematic material. The doxology starts with a G
amoris iubila ardent rejoicing Gasparini, maestro di coro at the Pietà since 1700, allowed minor Largo, the original key of C minor resumed for its
docete nos. in sincere love. Vivaldi to show his ability in sacred choral composition, for continuation, intercalated with the earlier text and music of
which the governors of the Pietà rewarded him in 1715. The the psalm. The setting ends with a fugal Amen.
Vos gaudia discite, Learn joys, following year he was appointed maestro de’ concerti, with Michael Talbot has suggested that Vivaldi’s setting of

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the Stabat Mater was the result of a visit to Brescia by the Mass after the Credo or at another point in the service, or as Stabat Mater dolorosa, RV 621
composer and his father, Giovanni Battista, a native of that an insertion into Vespers. Vivaldi, who wrote a quantity of
city, to take part in performances at the Oratorian church of such compositions, followed a simple formula of two arias, ! Stabat Mater dolorosa The grieving Mother stood
Santa Maria della Pace for the Feast of the Purification on framing a recitative, with a final Alleluia, scored generally iuxta crucem lacrymosa, weeping by the Cross
2nd February and for further ceremonies on Sexagesima for a solo voice, strings and continuo. The non-liturgical dum pendebat Filius. where hung her Son.
Sunday in 1711 (Michael Talbot: The Sacred Vocal Music Latin texts set often lacked distinction. Twelve of Vivaldi’s
of Antonio Vivaldi, Florence, 1995). Vivaldi provided the motets survive, with eight examples of Introduzioni, Cuius animam gementem, Her spirit groaning,
Chiesa della Pace with a commissioned setting of the Stabat compositions in similar form but lacking an Alleluia, and contristatam et dolentem, saddened and grieving
Mater the following year, presumably to be identified with related to another liturgical text. pertransivit gladius. a sword has pierced.
the surviving RV 621, for contralto, strings and continuo. Canta in prato, RV 623, Michael Talbot has suggested,
Consisting of twenty verses, the whole poem, which had was probably written by Vivaldi for Rome during his period O quam tristis et afflicta O how sad and afflicted
been eliminated from the liturgy by the reforming Council there in 1723-24, perhaps for Cardinal Ottoboni’s church of fuit illa benedicta was that blessed
of Trent, was restored for use in full as a Sequence in 1727. San Lorenzo in Damaso, for which a different setting of the Mater Unigeniti Mother of the Only-Begotten;
Parts of the original medieval poem, however, remained in same text was used as an Introduzione. Perhaps intended for
use, including the first ten verses, as set by Vivaldi, which a castrato soloist, the work opens with a virtuoso da capo Quae mœrebat et dolebat Who mourned and grieved
were used as a hymn for Vespers on the Feast of the Seven aria, setting a text filled with conventional pastoral Et tremebat, cum videbat and trembled, when she saw
Dolours of the Blessed Virgin on the Friday after Passion allusions. The following recitative provides a link with the Nati pœnas inclyti. the punishment of her glorious son.
Sunday. Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater repeats the music of the second da capo aria, with further pastoral references in the
first three movements, which set the first four verses of the text, if not in the music. The motet ends with an Alleluia. Quis est homo qui non fleret Who is the man that would not weep
hymn, for the following four verses. Since the three-line Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625, for contralto, strings and Christi Matrem si videret if he saw the Mother of Christ
verses may be paired into six-line stanzas with the third and basso continuo, seems to have been written about 1715 for in tanto supplicio? in such torment?
sixth lines rhyming, this arrangement makes prosodic sense. the Pietà singer Geltruda, who enjoyed a career in Venice
The first section of the work, in F minor, is imbued with the over some years. It is probably tailored to her voice, Quis non posset contristari Who could fail to feel sorrow
feeling of grief, with a chromatically descending bass-line offering a chaster lyricism than Canta in prato, and was piam Matrem contemplari to regard the merciful Mother
lament. Cuius animam, in C minor, is a recitative that presumably performed on the Feast of the Visitation, 2nd dolentem cum Filio? grieving for her son?
becomes an arioso, with a return to F minor for O quam July, in the same year, a festival mentioned in the
tristis, a moving aria. The pattern is repeated in the anonymous text. The first da capo aria is joined by a linking Pro peccatis suæ gentis For the sins of His people
following three sections of the work. Eia Mater is set in C recitative to a second aria, without da capo but consisting of vidit Iesum in tormentis she saw Jesus in torment
minor without the basso continuo in a characteristically a continuing series of sections, with the vocal line et flagellis subditum. and submitted to the scourge.
Vivaldian texture, with dotted violin figuration for the accompanied an octave higher by the violins, while the
united first and second violins, accompanied only by the viola, in a register that often overlaps with the voice, Vidit suum dulcem natum She saw her sweet offspring
violas. The original key is restored for Fac, ut ardeat, with provides the equivalent of a bass line. The final Alleluia moriendo desolatum forlorn in dying
its gently lilting 12/8 metre. The setting ends with a fugal makes fuller use of the basso continuo, although the violins dum emisit spiritum as He yielded up His spirit.
Amen. still shadow the vocal line an octave higher.
The motet in early eighteenth-century Venice served its @ Eia, Mater, fons amoris, Ah, Mother, fountain of love,
purpose in the liturgy as an additional piece to be sung at Keith Anderson me sentire vim doloris to feel the force of grief
fac ut tecum lugeam grant that I may mourn with you.

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Laudate pueri Dominum RV 600 (Psalm CXII) Tracy Smith Bessette

1 Laudate pueri Dominum. Praise the Lord, ye servants. Tracy Smith Bessette studied vocal performance at the Universities of Calgary and Toronto and in 2000 joined the
Laudate nomen Domini. Praise the name of the Lord. young artist programme at the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. She recently completed her second and final
season as a member of the Centre de formation lyrique de l’Opéra National de Paris. During her time in the young
2 Sit nomen Domini benedictum, Blessed be the name of the Lord, artist programme at the Opéra de Montréal, she performed Marie in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, Adina in
ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum. from this time forth for evermore. Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Amelia in Menotti’s Amelia al ballo and Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. On the
main stage at the Opéra de Montréal she portrayed Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore and the High Priestess in Verdi’s
3 A solis ortu usque ad occasum, From the rising up of the sun Aida. In Toronto with the Arbor Oak Trio, she was Venus in John Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Belinda in Purcell’s
laudabile nomen Domini. unto the going down thereof Dido and Aeneas. In the summer of 2002 she was a fellow at Tanglewood Institute and in the summer of 2000 she
the Lord’s name is praised. studied with Marilyn Horne at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. At the Opéra National de Paris she
has been an understudy for several productions. In the 2004-2005 season she sang Feklu‰a in Janáãek’s Kát’a
4 Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus, The Lord is high above all heathen, Kabanová at the Bastille (Opéra National de Paris) and also at the Opéra de Rouen. Tracy Smith Bessette is also on the
et super caelos gloria eius. and his glory above the heavens. concert stage and has performed many recitals. Her recordings for Naxos with Aradia include works by Charpentier
and Vivaldi, and she has given the premières of many Canadian works, several of which were written expressly for her.
5 Quis sicut Dominus, Deus noster, Who is like unto the Lord our God,
qui in altis habitat, that hath his dwelling so high, yet humbleth himself
et humilia respicit in caelo et in terra? to behold the things that are in heaven and earth? Marion Newman

6 Suscitans a terra inopem He taketh up the simple out of the dust The native Canadian mezzo-soprano Marion Newman has been described as a “jewel in Canada’s impressive
et de stercore erigens pauperem. and lifteth the poor out of the mire. performing arts crown”, having appeared in a number of operatic rôles, including Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia,
Margret in Wozzeck and Juno in The Tempest. International touring includes the Czech Republic and Germany in
7 Ut collocet eum cum principibus, That he may set him with the princes, Mozart’s Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica in Italy, as well as Carmen with Opera
cum principibus populi sui. even with the princes of his people. 2005 in Ireland. She has performed with many ensembles including the Victoria Symphony, Portland Baroque
Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, He maketh the barren woman to keep house, Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Elora Festival Singers. Her repertoire extends from the baroque to
matrem filiorum laetantem. and to be a joyful mother of children. contemporary music. In 2004 she traveled to Lithuania with the ERGO ensemble to perform at the Is Arti New Music
Festival. Marion Newman has featured four times as soloist on CBC’s National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, and
8 Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Glory be to the Father and to the Son in the opening of the 2002 Royal Golden Jubilee Gala at Roy Thompson Hall, performing with the Toronto Symphony
and to the Holy Ghost. Orchestra before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her recordings include the rôle of Goffredo in Handel’s opera
Rinaldo (Naxos. 8.660165-67).
9 Sicut erat in principio, As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. world without end.

0 Amen. Amen.

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Aradia Ensemble Kevin Mallon

One of the most exciting new groups to emerge in the early music world, the Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble The Irish musician Kevin Mallon, now resident in Canada, is quickly developing a world-wide reputation. With an
specialises in presenting an eclectic blend of orchestral, operatic and chamber music played on original [Link] impressive background that includes conducting studies with John Eliot Gardiner, composition with Peter Maxwell
group records for Naxos and has made more than 20 recordings. They have made two music videos, one film Davies, training at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and at
soundtrack, have collaborated with Isadora Duncan and Baroque dancers, have co-produced opera and worked with Dartington College of Arts, he learnt his craft as a violinist with such orchestras as the Hallé and the BBC
Balinese Gamelan. While focusing heavily on the repertoire of seventeenth-century France and England, Aradia also Philharmonic, and later as concert-master with Le Concert Spirituel and Les Arts Florissants in Paris. With these
performs works by the Italian and German masters of the baroque, as well as contemporary pieces commissioned by groups he has recorded extensively and toured the world. He has performed concerts all over Europe, including
the group. In July 2000 Aradia was the featured ensemble in residence at the New Zealand Chamber Music Festival Vienna, London, Berlin and Paris, with appearances in Russia, the Baltic States, China, Japan, New Zealand, the
and in July 2003 performed at Musica nel Chiostro in Tuscany. According to Robert Graves, Aradia was the daughter United States and Canada. Before moving to Canada to take up positions with the University of Toronto and the
of Apollo’s twin sisters. She was sent by the gods to teach mankind to order the music of the natural world into song. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Kevin Mallon was active in both his native Ireland and throughout Europe. He was
conductor of the Irish Baroque Orchestra as well as the Musical Director of the Harty Ensemble in Belfast. He also
conducted numerous orchestras and opera companies in Ireland, including the Ulster Orchestra, Castleward Opera
Violins Violas Double Bass and the National Chamber Choir. Kevin Mallon formed and became the Music Director of the Aradia Ensemble in
Julia Wedman (concert-mistress Tomas Georgi J. Tracy Mortimore 1996. This vocal and instrumental group has achieved extraordinary successes. All their recordings for Naxos have
and violin solo) Karen Moffatt received international praise. The ensemble was featured in 2000 at the New Zealand International Chamber Music
Aisslinn Nosky Organ Festival, and in 2003 at the Musica nel Chiostro festival in Tuscany. Although Kevin Mallon specialises in music
Paul Zevenhuizen Celli Paul Jenkins of the Baroque period, he is in demand to conduct a wider repertoire. As part of his recording contract with Naxos,
Liz Johnston Joan Harrison (continuo) he is Music Director of the Toronto Camerata, a group made up of some of Toronto’s best orchestral musicians, with
Cristina Zacharias Simon Fryer Theorbo whom he has already made nine recordings. In recent years he has also developed an association with the
Bethany Bergman Lucas Harris contemporary opera company Opera Anonymous, with which he has conducted Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress
Catherine Emes and the early nineteenth-century opera Lucas et Cécile by the Canadian Joseph Quesnel. He has also conducted
Toronto’s Opera in Concert in a varied repertoire. Kevin Mallon’s recordings for Naxos include works by
Charpentier, Rameau, Boyce, Saint-Georges and Handel. Engagements as a guest conductor have taken him to
Finland, Sweden, Poland and the United States. He has recently taken up the position of Music Director of Opera
2005 in Cork, Ireland, conducting a series of operas as part of Cork’s tenure as European Capital of Culture. Also
interested in Irish music, he is a member of the Toronto-based traditional group Dulaman.

8.557852 6 7 8.557852
557852bk Vivaldi US 3/16/06 2:29 PM Page 6

Aradia Ensemble Kevin Mallon

One of the most exciting new groups to emerge in the early music world, the Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble The Irish musician Kevin Mallon, now resident in Canada, is quickly developing a world-wide reputation. With an
specialises in presenting an eclectic blend of orchestral, operatic and chamber music played on original [Link] impressive background that includes conducting studies with John Eliot Gardiner, composition with Peter Maxwell
group records for Naxos and has made more than 20 recordings. They have made two music videos, one film Davies, training at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and at
soundtrack, have collaborated with Isadora Duncan and Baroque dancers, have co-produced opera and worked with Dartington College of Arts, he learnt his craft as a violinist with such orchestras as the Hallé and the BBC
Balinese Gamelan. While focusing heavily on the repertoire of seventeenth-century France and England, Aradia also Philharmonic, and later as concert-master with Le Concert Spirituel and Les Arts Florissants in Paris. With these
performs works by the Italian and German masters of the baroque, as well as contemporary pieces commissioned by groups he has recorded extensively and toured the world. He has performed concerts all over Europe, including
the group. In July 2000 Aradia was the featured ensemble in residence at the New Zealand Chamber Music Festival Vienna, London, Berlin and Paris, with appearances in Russia, the Baltic States, China, Japan, New Zealand, the
and in July 2003 performed at Musica nel Chiostro in Tuscany. According to Robert Graves, Aradia was the daughter United States and Canada. Before moving to Canada to take up positions with the University of Toronto and the
of Apollo’s twin sisters. She was sent by the gods to teach mankind to order the music of the natural world into song. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Kevin Mallon was active in both his native Ireland and throughout Europe. He was
conductor of the Irish Baroque Orchestra as well as the Musical Director of the Harty Ensemble in Belfast. He also
conducted numerous orchestras and opera companies in Ireland, including the Ulster Orchestra, Castleward Opera
Violins Violas Double Bass and the National Chamber Choir. Kevin Mallon formed and became the Music Director of the Aradia Ensemble in
Julia Wedman (concert-mistress Tomas Georgi J. Tracy Mortimore 1996. This vocal and instrumental group has achieved extraordinary successes. All their recordings for Naxos have
and violin solo) Karen Moffatt received international praise. The ensemble was featured in 2000 at the New Zealand International Chamber Music
Aisslinn Nosky Organ Festival, and in 2003 at the Musica nel Chiostro festival in Tuscany. Although Kevin Mallon specialises in music
Paul Zevenhuizen Celli Paul Jenkins of the Baroque period, he is in demand to conduct a wider repertoire. As part of his recording contract with Naxos,
Liz Johnston Joan Harrison (continuo) he is Music Director of the Toronto Camerata, a group made up of some of Toronto’s best orchestral musicians, with
Cristina Zacharias Simon Fryer Theorbo whom he has already made nine recordings. In recent years he has also developed an association with the
Bethany Bergman Lucas Harris contemporary opera company Opera Anonymous, with which he has conducted Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress
Catherine Emes and the early nineteenth-century opera Lucas et Cécile by the Canadian Joseph Quesnel. He has also conducted
Toronto’s Opera in Concert in a varied repertoire. Kevin Mallon’s recordings for Naxos include works by
Charpentier, Rameau, Boyce, Saint-Georges and Handel. Engagements as a guest conductor have taken him to
Finland, Sweden, Poland and the United States. He has recently taken up the position of Music Director of Opera
2005 in Cork, Ireland, conducting a series of operas as part of Cork’s tenure as European Capital of Culture. Also
interested in Irish music, he is a member of the Toronto-based traditional group Dulaman.

8.557852 6 7 8.557852
557852bk Vivaldi US 3/16/06 2:29 PM Page 8

Laudate pueri Dominum RV 600 (Psalm CXII) Tracy Smith Bessette

1 Laudate pueri Dominum. Praise the Lord, ye servants. Tracy Smith Bessette studied vocal performance at the Universities of Calgary and Toronto and in 2000 joined the
Laudate nomen Domini. Praise the name of the Lord. young artist programme at the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. She recently completed her second and final
season as a member of the Centre de formation lyrique de l’Opéra National de Paris. During her time in the young
2 Sit nomen Domini benedictum, Blessed be the name of the Lord, artist programme at the Opéra de Montréal, she performed Marie in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, Adina in
ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum. from this time forth for evermore. Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Amelia in Menotti’s Amelia al ballo and Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. On the
main stage at the Opéra de Montréal she portrayed Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore and the High Priestess in Verdi’s
3 A solis ortu usque ad occasum, From the rising up of the sun Aida. In Toronto with the Arbor Oak Trio, she was Venus in John Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Belinda in Purcell’s
laudabile nomen Domini. unto the going down thereof Dido and Aeneas. In the summer of 2002 she was a fellow at Tanglewood Institute and in the summer of 2000 she
the Lord’s name is praised. studied with Marilyn Horne at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. At the Opéra National de Paris she
has been an understudy for several productions. In the 2004-2005 season she sang Feklu‰a in Janáãek’s Kát’a
4 Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus, The Lord is high above all heathen, Kabanová at the Bastille (Opéra National de Paris) and also at the Opéra de Rouen. Tracy Smith Bessette is also on the
et super caelos gloria eius. and his glory above the heavens. concert stage and has performed many recitals. Her recordings for Naxos with Aradia include works by Charpentier
and Vivaldi, and she has given the premières of many Canadian works, several of which were written expressly for her.
5 Quis sicut Dominus, Deus noster, Who is like unto the Lord our God,
qui in altis habitat, that hath his dwelling so high, yet humbleth himself
et humilia respicit in caelo et in terra? to behold the things that are in heaven and earth? Marion Newman

6 Suscitans a terra inopem He taketh up the simple out of the dust The native Canadian mezzo-soprano Marion Newman has been described as a “jewel in Canada’s impressive
et de stercore erigens pauperem. and lifteth the poor out of the mire. performing arts crown”, having appeared in a number of operatic rôles, including Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia,
Margret in Wozzeck and Juno in The Tempest. International touring includes the Czech Republic and Germany in
7 Ut collocet eum cum principibus, That he may set him with the princes, Mozart’s Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica in Italy, as well as Carmen with Opera
cum principibus populi sui. even with the princes of his people. 2005 in Ireland. She has performed with many ensembles including the Victoria Symphony, Portland Baroque
Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, He maketh the barren woman to keep house, Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Elora Festival Singers. Her repertoire extends from the baroque to
matrem filiorum laetantem. and to be a joyful mother of children. contemporary music. In 2004 she traveled to Lithuania with the ERGO ensemble to perform at the Is Arti New Music
Festival. Marion Newman has featured four times as soloist on CBC’s National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, and
8 Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Glory be to the Father and to the Son in the opening of the 2002 Royal Golden Jubilee Gala at Roy Thompson Hall, performing with the Toronto Symphony
and to the Holy Ghost. Orchestra before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her recordings include the rôle of Goffredo in Handel’s opera
Rinaldo (Naxos. 8.660165-67).
9 Sicut erat in principio, As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. world without end.

0 Amen. Amen.

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the Stabat Mater was the result of a visit to Brescia by the Mass after the Credo or at another point in the service, or as Stabat Mater dolorosa, RV 621
composer and his father, Giovanni Battista, a native of that an insertion into Vespers. Vivaldi, who wrote a quantity of
city, to take part in performances at the Oratorian church of such compositions, followed a simple formula of two arias, ! Stabat Mater dolorosa The grieving Mother stood
Santa Maria della Pace for the Feast of the Purification on framing a recitative, with a final Alleluia, scored generally iuxta crucem lacrymosa, weeping by the Cross
2nd February and for further ceremonies on Sexagesima for a solo voice, strings and continuo. The non-liturgical dum pendebat Filius. where hung her Son.
Sunday in 1711 (Michael Talbot: The Sacred Vocal Music Latin texts set often lacked distinction. Twelve of Vivaldi’s
of Antonio Vivaldi, Florence, 1995). Vivaldi provided the motets survive, with eight examples of Introduzioni, Cuius animam gementem, Her spirit groaning,
Chiesa della Pace with a commissioned setting of the Stabat compositions in similar form but lacking an Alleluia, and contristatam et dolentem, saddened and grieving
Mater the following year, presumably to be identified with related to another liturgical text. pertransivit gladius. a sword has pierced.
the surviving RV 621, for contralto, strings and continuo. Canta in prato, RV 623, Michael Talbot has suggested,
Consisting of twenty verses, the whole poem, which had was probably written by Vivaldi for Rome during his period O quam tristis et afflicta O how sad and afflicted
been eliminated from the liturgy by the reforming Council there in 1723-24, perhaps for Cardinal Ottoboni’s church of fuit illa benedicta was that blessed
of Trent, was restored for use in full as a Sequence in 1727. San Lorenzo in Damaso, for which a different setting of the Mater Unigeniti Mother of the Only-Begotten;
Parts of the original medieval poem, however, remained in same text was used as an Introduzione. Perhaps intended for
use, including the first ten verses, as set by Vivaldi, which a castrato soloist, the work opens with a virtuoso da capo Quae mœrebat et dolebat Who mourned and grieved
were used as a hymn for Vespers on the Feast of the Seven aria, setting a text filled with conventional pastoral Et tremebat, cum videbat and trembled, when she saw
Dolours of the Blessed Virgin on the Friday after Passion allusions. The following recitative provides a link with the Nati pœnas inclyti. the punishment of her glorious son.
Sunday. Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater repeats the music of the second da capo aria, with further pastoral references in the
first three movements, which set the first four verses of the text, if not in the music. The motet ends with an Alleluia. Quis est homo qui non fleret Who is the man that would not weep
hymn, for the following four verses. Since the three-line Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625, for contralto, strings and Christi Matrem si videret if he saw the Mother of Christ
verses may be paired into six-line stanzas with the third and basso continuo, seems to have been written about 1715 for in tanto supplicio? in such torment?
sixth lines rhyming, this arrangement makes prosodic sense. the Pietà singer Geltruda, who enjoyed a career in Venice
The first section of the work, in F minor, is imbued with the over some years. It is probably tailored to her voice, Quis non posset contristari Who could fail to feel sorrow
feeling of grief, with a chromatically descending bass-line offering a chaster lyricism than Canta in prato, and was piam Matrem contemplari to regard the merciful Mother
lament. Cuius animam, in C minor, is a recitative that presumably performed on the Feast of the Visitation, 2nd dolentem cum Filio? grieving for her son?
becomes an arioso, with a return to F minor for O quam July, in the same year, a festival mentioned in the
tristis, a moving aria. The pattern is repeated in the anonymous text. The first da capo aria is joined by a linking Pro peccatis suæ gentis For the sins of His people
following three sections of the work. Eia Mater is set in C recitative to a second aria, without da capo but consisting of vidit Iesum in tormentis she saw Jesus in torment
minor without the basso continuo in a characteristically a continuing series of sections, with the vocal line et flagellis subditum. and submitted to the scourge.
Vivaldian texture, with dotted violin figuration for the accompanied an octave higher by the violins, while the
united first and second violins, accompanied only by the viola, in a register that often overlaps with the voice, Vidit suum dulcem natum She saw her sweet offspring
violas. The original key is restored for Fac, ut ardeat, with provides the equivalent of a bass line. The final Alleluia moriendo desolatum forlorn in dying
its gently lilting 12/8 metre. The setting ends with a fugal makes fuller use of the basso continuo, although the violins dum emisit spiritum as He yielded up His spirit.
Amen. still shadow the vocal line an octave higher.
The motet in early eighteenth-century Venice served its @ Eia, Mater, fons amoris, Ah, Mother, fountain of love,
purpose in the liturgy as an additional piece to be sung at Keith Anderson me sentire vim doloris to feel the force of grief
fac ut tecum lugeam grant that I may mourn with you.

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# Fac, ut ardeat cor meum Grant that my heart may burn Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Sacred Music • 2
in amando Christum Deum in loving Christ, God, Laudate pueri Dominum • Stabat Mater • Canta in prato • Claræ stellæ
ut sibi complaceam. that I may please Him.
Known in his native Venice as the red priest, from the a performance of his oratorio Juditha triumphans in
$ Amen. Amen. inherited colour of his hair, Antonio Vivaldi was born in November 1716. In 1717 he left the Pietà and the next year
1678, the son of a barber who later served as a violinist at was in Mantua as maestro di cappella da camera to Prince
the great Basilica of St Mark. Vivaldi studied for the Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, Governor of Mantua from 1714
priesthood and was ordained in 1703. At the same time he to 1735. He renewed his connection with the Pietà in 1723.
Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV 623 won a reputation for himself as a violinist of phenomenal Various datings have been suggested for Vivaldi’s sacred
ability and was appointed violin-master at the Ospedale music. Those for the Pietà fall generally into the period after
% Aria della Pietà. This last was one of four such charitable Gasparini’s departure, from 1715 to 1717, and to a later
Canta in prato, ride in monte Sing in the meadow, laugh on the hill institutions, established for the education of orphan, period, from 1737 to 1739, when the position of maestro di
Philomena læta in fonte, Philomena happy in the fountain, indigent or illegitimate girls and boasting a particularly fine coro was again vacant.
vox respondeat exsultando. let her voice answer in exultation. musical tradition. Here the girls were trained in music, some Three settings by Vivaldi of the second Vespers Psalm
of the more talented continuing to serve there as assistant CXII, Laudate pueri Dominum survive. These may be
Et vox illa sit amœna And may that voice be pleasing teachers, earning the dowry necessary for marriage. presumed to have formed part of settings of Vespers
vox lætitiæ, nec tua pœna the voice of happiness, nor let your pain Vivaldi’s association with the Pietà continued intermittently intended for major events in the Church calendar, although
gaudia turbet deplorando disturb joys by weeping. throughout his life, from 1723 under a contract that this psalm is included in the office of Vespers on a number
provided for the composition of two new concertos every of occasions in the year, forming part of the group of psalms
^ Recitative month. At the same time he enjoyed a connection with the sung at Sunday Vespers. Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600,
Sacra fulgescit nobis The holy day shines bright for us, theatre, as the composer of some fifty operas, director and for soprano, strings and continuo, in C minor, follows its
digna communi gaudio optata dies the desired day, time for general joy, manager. He finally left Venice in 1741, travelling to energetic opening Allegro with a Largo E flat major setting
Pater beate, gaude Blessed Father, rejoice Vienna, where there seemed some possibility of furthering of Sit nomen Domini benedictum, accompanied by violins
cœlesti gloria tua, in your celestial glory his career under imperial patronage, or perhaps with the and violas. For A solis ortu, in G minor, the basso continuo
gaude sereno obsequio. rejoice in serene ceremony. idea of travelling on to the court at Dresden, where his pupil returns in a movement that calls for some vocal agility. The
Vos mortales, plaudite et exsultate, You mortals, clap your hands and be glad, Pisendel was working. He died in Vienna a few weeks after moving D minor Excelsus super omnes gentes, an Andante,
et si plaudunt in cœlo amœni chori, and if the happy choirs rejoice in heaven, his arrival in the city, in relative poverty. At one time he had includes a solo cello obbligato, while violins and violas
gaudeat et omnis vivens let every living thing rejoice been worth 50,000 ducats a year, it seemed, but now had remain silent. The key changes to A minor for Quis sicut
et semper plaudendo sacro honori. and always be glad in holy ceremony. little to show for it, as he arranged for the sale of some of Dominus, with its wide violin leaps, leading to the agitated
the music he had brought with him. opening of Suscitans a terra, with its contrasts of pace and
& Aria Vivaldi had started his service at the Pietà in 1703. The feeling, as the word suscitans suggests a mood of urgency.
Avenæ rusticæ Rustic reeds following years brought brief gaps in his tenure, but the Ut collocet eum, an Allegro in B flat major, is united by its
sinceri fervida teach us allegedly temporary departure in 1713 of Francesco repeated thematic material. The doxology starts with a G
amoris iubila ardent rejoicing Gasparini, maestro di coro at the Pietà since 1700, allowed minor Largo, the original key of C minor resumed for its
docete nos. in sincere love. Vivaldi to show his ability in sacred choral composition, for continuation, intercalated with the earlier text and music of
which the governors of the Pietà rewarded him in 1715. The the psalm. The setting ends with a fugal Amen.
Vos gaudia discite, Learn joys, following year he was appointed maestro de’ concerti, with Michael Talbot has suggested that Vivaldi’s setting of

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Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Sacred Music • 2 tympana et organa tambours and organs
Laudate pueri Dominum • Stabat Mater • Canta in prato • Claræ stellæ si agrestis fistula if the country pipe
invitat vos. invites you.
Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600 22:23
* Alleluia. Alleluia.
1 Laudate pueri Dominum 2:06
2 Sit nomen benedictum 2:45
3 A solis ortu 1:53
4 Excelsus super omnes gentes 2:58
Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625
5 Quis sicut Dominus 2:16
6 Suscitans a terra 1:25
( Aria
7 Ut collocet eum 1:50
Claræ stellæ, scintillate Bright stars, shine
8 Gloria Patri 3:24
et splendorem novum date and give new splendour
9 Laudate, pueri … Sicut erat in principio 1:47
huius diei tanto fulgori. to the brilliance of this day.
0 Amen 1:58
Mundus vivat in lætitias Let the world live in joys
Stabat Mater, RV 621 18:50
et mox habeat suas delicias and soon have its delights
! Stabat Mater dolorosa 13:30
tantæ pompæ suo decori. in its grace with such ceremony.
@ Eia Mater, fons amoris 2:46
# Fac, ut ardeat 1:39 ) Recitative
$ Amen 0:54 Cœli repleti iam novo splendore The heavens now are filled with new splendour
plaudunt in tanta die, And are glad at such a day
Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV 623 8:31 et simul terra arridit tota and at the same time the whole earth is happy
% Canta in prato 3:48 in tam solemni pompa. in so solemn a ceremony.
^ Sacra fulgescit 0:50 Dum festum celebratur While the feast is celebrated
& Avenæ rusticæ 2:20 almæ Visitationis of the blessed Visitation
* Alleluia 1:33 gaudeat etiam cor meum let my heart too rejoice
Mariam laudando et collaudando Deum. praising Mary and praising God.
Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625 11:09
( Claræ stellæ, scintillate 5:28 ¡ Aria
) Cœli repleti iam 0:49 Nunc iubilare, Now rejoice,
¡ Nunc iubilare 2:11 semper lætare always be happy
™ Alleluia 2:41 gaudio immenso with great joy
anima mea. my soul.

Et sit tibi iubilando, And for you let there be rejoicing,

et sit tibi memorando and let there be celebration

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mundi et cordis alma spes.

Si non es lætitia plena

tantæ pompæ aura serena
kind hope of the world and the heart.

If you are not full of joy

let the serene air of such a ceremony
VIVALDI
sit dulcedo tuae mæstitiæ
et in te solum sint mille deliciæ.
be the sweetness of your sorrow
and may a thousand delights be yours alone. Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600
™ Alleluia. Alleluia. Stabat Mater, RV 621 • Canta in prato, RV 623
Tracy Smith Bessette • Marion Newman
Aradia Ensemble • Kevin Mallon

8.557852 12
 CMYK
NAXOS

NAXOS
The “Red Priest” left an enormous volume of music in all forms, of which sacred music
occupies a place of honor. Vivaldi’s religious idiom alternates passages of great
tenderness and sombre beauty, rich in cantabile expressiveness, with highly operatic
movements of colourful and exciting virtuosity. Volume 1 of Vivaldi’s Complete Sacred 8.557852
Music is available on Naxos 8.557445.
VIVALDI: Laudate, pueri, RV 600

VIVALDI: Laudate, pueri, RV 600

DDD
Antonio Playing Time
VIVALDI 60:53
(1678–1741)
Sacred Music • 2
1
1-0 Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 600 22:23
2
!-$ Stabat Mater, RV 621 18:50
1
%-* Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV 623 8:31

[Link]
Made in Canada
Includes sung texts and English translations
Booklet notes in English
 &  2006 Naxos Rights International Ltd.
2
(-™ Claræ stellæ, scintillate, RV 625 11:09

Tracy Smith Bessette, Soprano 1

Marion Newman, Contralto 2
Aradia Ensemble • Kevin Mallon
Recorded in Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto, Canada, from 7th to 9th May, 2005
Producers: Norbert Kraft and Bonnie Silver • Engineer: Norbert Kraft • Editor: Bonnie Silver
8. 5 578 52

8 .5 578 52
Booklet Notes: Keith Anderson • Please see the booklet for a detailed track list
Performing editions: Kevin Mallon • Pitch a=415Hz (Temperament: Valotti)
Cover Photograph: Marco Rodolfo