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• Praetorius, Michael: 5 Christmas Settings

Praetorius, Michael: 5 Christmas Settings

for 3 voices or instruments.

These Christmas chorale settings come from Michael Praetorius´ Musae Sioniae Neundter Theil: Deutscher Geistlicher in Kirchen und Häusern gebreuchlicher Psalmen und Lieder mit 2. und 3 Stimmen/auff Muteten, Madrigalische und sonsten nach eine andere vom Autore erst erfundene Art, 1609. Unlike the 4-part Christmas pieces already published in this series (EML 248), these are sophisticated and highly varied settings, with a degree of imitation, and, in some cases. frequent changes of meter: indeed Praetorius´ claim to have developed a new way of treating chorales has some justification. The majority of the pieces selected here are scored for two high voices and a tenor or bass at least an octave lower - a very Italianate disposition of the parts.
In this edition the original note values have been retained in the duple sections, but halved in the triple sections (however, in no. 5 the note values have been quartered). The proportional relationships are a little problematic at times: in In dulci jubilo the composer may have intended a 4:1 rather than 3:1 relationship (constant crotchet/ quarter note) in the transcription, as identical phrases occur in both meters. In no. 4, which incorporates several verses of the text, the composer is consistent in specifying a major third at the end of verse, but other G chords ocurring within a verse are left minor.