Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)
Hodie Christus Natus Est comes from the liturgy of the vesper service for Christmas day. The text is a paraphrase of Luke 2:11, 13-14 and Psalm 33:1. Based in the Protestant city of Amsterdam throughout his career, Sweelinck’s Hodie Christus Natus Est is one of a collection of motets entitled Cantiones Sacrae. The antiphonal exchanges and word painting owe more to the expressive contemporary influences of Rome and Venice. The madrigalian colors and textures offer an evocative celebration of the birth of Christ. The text is punctuated by exuberant cries of “alleluia” that burst musically through the texture, culminating in a skillful jumble of overlapping calls of Noe (Noel).
©Ryan Turner