This recent composition is a four-part setting of Tota Pulchra Es Maria for SATB. A free PDF, licensed under a Creative Commons license, is available at the bottom of the post.
Discussion
Some years ago, I had composed a setting of Tota Pulrchra Es Maria in three parts for the men’s schola at my parish. Spring of this year seemed a good time to make another attempt on this text, this time in four parts. Although composed around the same time as Quo Abiit, the two pieces are very different. For Quo Abiit, I took a vertical or harmony-first approach and let that drive the melody, whereas I approached this piece horizontally or with the melodies driving harmony. Of course, the texts and moods of the two pieces are very different, too.
As far as interpretation goes, I think the main strategy is to let this setting float in a meditative sort of way and allow each voice swell and diminish naturally within its own line, as one might approach Palestrina’s Sicut Cervus.
Related Compositions
Featured Image
The feature image is The Immaculate Conception by Francisco de Zurbaran, painted in 1661. It is in the public domain in the United States.
