Alessandro Grandi

When he arrived to take up a position at Venice's St Marks in 1617, Grandi had already been maestro di cappella in Ferrara for several years. He left for Bergamo in 1627, only to fall victim to the plague there in 1630.

The first pages of our editions can be seen by clicking on the relevant links below to PDF files that also include the introduction to each title:

SOLO MOTETS

SOPRANO DUETS

MOTETS FOR SATB

O speciosa

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  • Description

This motet in praise of the Virgin alternates a solo group of two sopranos (or tenors) and bass with tutti sections, in which the trio is reinforced by a ripieno group of SATB.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.


O vos omnes

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Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.
Scoring: Soprano, 3 viols (SAB), continuo.


Osculetur me

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  • Description

Another setting fo the Song of Songs, this is one of the longer motets from Grandi's book of solos. It is scored for soprano (range d-f') and continuo, and calls for some agile ornamentation.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.


Quam dilecta

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  • Description

This strange piece comes from Grandi's first book of concertato motets of 1610. A setting for Psalm 83 (84): 2-5, it is homophonic throughout (with only hints at imitation) and the bottom voice (originally in Alto clef) is doubled at pitch throughout by the organ.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.


Quam pulchra es

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  • Description

This setting for Tenor and continuo of verses from The Song of Songs is also available for the same voice transposed down a fourth (as suggested by the composer).
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.


Quam pulchra es

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  • Description

This Marian motet, setting a popular text from the Song of Songs, comes from Grandi's only printed set of motets for solo voice and continuo. The alto part ranges from the G below middle C to the B flat above. Following contemporary practice, we also offer this motet transposed up a fourth (or down a fifth) for soprano or tenor (range c-e flat').
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Quam pulchra es

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  • Description

This setting of a popular Song of Songs text is one of five cantilenas in Grandi's fifth book of concertato motets, Celesti Fiori. The two soloists (either sopranos or tenors) sing three verses (one each and then in duet), interspersed with a "choral" (SATB) refrain.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.


Quam pulchra es

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  • Description

This SATTB motet is not, as you might expect, a setting of the familiar Song of Songs text; rather, it combines texts based on the Books of Wisdom and Proverbs as a warning that beauty and good favour on earth are no substitute for everlasting happiness in heaven.There are brief solos for the four upper voices.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
12pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.


Quasi arcus

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  • Description
This motet for soprano and two violins from the composer's third book of Motetti con sinfonie of 1629 sings the praise of St Alexander, one of the patrons of Bergamo, where Grandi was working at the time. Like other motets in the set, it is built in a ritornello structure with a decorated close.Edited by Brian Clark.4pp.

Quasi cedrus

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  • Description

Published in Grandi's last book of motets, this SATB setting of a text from Ecclesiasticus is through-composed. There is some imitative writting but no virtuosity.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
12pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.

Quemadmodum desiderat cervus

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  • Description

This Soprano / Bass duet comes from the sixth and last of the composer's concertato motets, printed in 1630 (the year he died). It is to all intents and purposes a sacred love duet, which starts with the bass calling to the soprano, who answers "Whose voice is this I hear?"
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.

Qui timetis Dominum

 
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"Ye that fear the Lord" recurs four times in this setting of texts from Ecclesiastes. Grandi sets the opening as a Tenor duet, the second time he uses Soprano, Alto and Bass, the four upper voices sing the third occurrence, while the fourth is given to all five voices (SATTB). The responses are full-textured and richly harmonic in each case.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.

Quo rubicunda rosa

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  • Description

The composer very skilfully sets this prayer to the Virgin Mary as a dialogue, the Soprano and Alto are one group and the lower three voices the other. He also uses rhythmic devices (single bars of common time within a triple section) to stress individual words in the text. A very effective SATTB piece.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
12pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.

Quomodo dilexi

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  • Description

An SSATB setting of texts from one of Grandi's favourite sources, The Song of Songs, this motet starts with an extended Soprano solo, which is answered by the Bass. A duet follows, before Soprano 1 sings alone again. At Bar 91, the Tenor opens the five-part section "Let us love him who before loved us".
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.


Regina caeli

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  • Description
Taken from Grandi's third book of motets with violins, this is a lovely soprano setting of the Marian antiphon for the period from Easter to Trinity Sunday.Edited by Brian Clark.
8pp.

Regina caeli

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  • Description

This Marian antiphon setting introduces each of the three female voices in turns, then they join for "Ora pro nobis, alleluia", which is perhaps most interesting for its precise dynamic markings.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Respice Domine

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  • Description

This solo soprano motet sets a text based on verses from Psalms 24 and 26.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Salva me, salutaris hostia

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  • Description
This motet for two sopranos, two violins and continuo was not published by the composer himself, but rather comes from a collection of pieces "by the most celebrated masters".Edited by Brian Clark.
8pp.

Sancte Sebastiane

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  • Description

This SATTB tribute to the famous martyr opens with a phrase that will be familiar to anyone who has performed Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers. There is some effective concitato writing describing the showers of arrows he had to endure.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
8pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.

Surge propera

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  • Description

Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.
Scoring: Soprano, Bass, continuo.



Tota pulchra es

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  • Description
This Song of Songs setting likewise comes from Grandi's 1621 book of solo motets. It is scored for soprano (the range is d-f') and continuo.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Tota pulchra es

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  • Description

This Marian antiphon setting for soprano, two violins and continuo comes from Grandi's first book of motetti con sinfonie, first published in 2619.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Veni Sancte Spiritus

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  • Description

For much of this fine duet, the Bass voice doubles or ornaments the continuo line, but there are also concertato passages where the texture is written in three real parts.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Venite filii

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  • Description

This duet for Sopranos (which may also be sung by Tenors) comes from Grandi's second book of motets, printed in 1617.
Edited by Dennis Collins.
4pp.

Versa est in luctum

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  • Description

This SATTB setting of verses from the Book of Job mostly maintains the five-voice texture throughout. The most expressive harmonies are reserved for the phrase "Thou are changed to be cruel toward me" - emotive stuff, indeed!
Edited by Dennis Collins.
12pp.

Performance materials by negotiation.