motet notes - Sweelinck

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was the last of the great Flemish masters that dominated religious music for several centuries. Although Sweelinck never went to Italy like his older Flemish antecedents he was clearly conversant with the Renaissance motet style. One of his last works was a set of Latin motets for each day of the church year. This work, Cantiones Sacrae, was published in 1619 near the end of his long life. The Epiphany motet is high and light with two high soprano parts and the bottom voices represented by a high tenor and a light baritone part. Sweelinck is mainly known today for his marvelous keyboard variations and a set of French-language madrigal-like Psalm settings. The serious contrapuntal mastery of our motet will surprise those who only know these lighter works.

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