How long is Spem in Alium?
ten- to twelve-minute
Though composed in imitative style and occasionally homophonic, its individual vocal lines act quite freely within its elegant harmonic framework, allowing for a large number of individual musical ideas to be implemented during its ten- to twelve-minute performance time.
Is Spem in Alium polyphonic?
It’s Thomas Tallis’ religious motet, “Spem in alium.” It was composed for 40 voices, organized in eight choirs, each consisting of soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass. The highly regarded professional choral group Polyphony is giving New Mexicans a rare chance to hear “Spem in alium” on Saturday, Nov.
How many voices are in Spem in Alium?
40 voices
Thomas Tallis’s Spem in alium was composed in c1570 and is scored for 40 voices. It is arranged for eight choirs with five voices in each.
Who composed Spem in Alium?
Thomas Tallis
Spem in alium/Composers
Spem in alium nunquam habui, (Latin: “Hope in Any Other Have I None” or “In No Other Is My Hope”) motet (short musical setting of a sacred text) by English composer Thomas Tallis, noted for its complex use of counterpoint in a composition for 40 voices.
How many parts are there in Spem in Alium?
40
To create Spem in alium nunquam habui, the composer organized his choristers into eight separate choirs, each containing five voice parts. Thus, Tallis’s score has 40 distinct vocal parts that were designed to fit together harmonically and must be kept in aural balance.
Why was Spem in Alium written?
The strictly Catholic Tallis may have written Spem to honour the Catholic Queen Mary, in defiance of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth. Whatever the truth, Spem is Alium is one of the treasures of Elizabethan English music. It is scored for 40 individual voices, divided into eight choirs of five voices each.
When did Thomas Tallis sing Spem in alium?
CPDL ##15804–07 and ##19805–08 include second text: the English contrafactum Sing and glorify that was sung for the coronation of Henry, Prince of Wales, in 1610.
Why are there 11 parts in Spem in alium?
The 11-part arrangement of Spem in alium is intended for use by anyone who does not happen to have eight 5-part choirs to hand, for the enjoyment of singers and to give them an overview of the work. When the full score is sung, only the audience can hear what is going on: the singers cannot.
Who is the composer of Spem in alium?
Copyright: CPDL Edition notes: This edition is part of Tallis’ Virtual Voice, a project conceived and sponsored by the Thomas Tallis Society centred around Spem in alium. It comprises a new multitrack recording by Andrew Leslie Cooper, a comprehensive performance resource for the piece, and this radical new edition by Hugh Keyte.
When did Palestrina write Missa Spem in alium?
The Tallis motet is not the source for Palestrina ‘s Missa Spem in alium, which was published almost contemporaneously in 1570. Palestrina’s parody mass is based on a 4–part motet with a similar text, by Jacquet de Mantua, dating from 1539.