Before listening to the works on these pages,
read the assignment in Todd, Discovering Music Concertato Style
III. Claudio Monteverdi, "Beatus vir" (Happy Is the Man)
The last example of early baroque music is a setting of Psalm 111 (the psalms are a book of poetry from the Bible) by one of the greatest composers of the Baroque, Claudio Monteverdi. "Beatus vir" (Happy is the Man)
provides a fine example of the concertato style,
a compositional technique that emphasizes the rapid alternation of contrasting performing groups. With a little practive, you should be able to hear the shifts of sound colors that
characterize the concertato style by following the right-hand column of the chart below while listening to the opening of "Beatus vir":
Beatus, beatus vir
Beatus, beatus vir
Beatus vir qui timet Dominum
in mandatis ejus volet nimis.
Beatus, beatus vir
Beatus, beatus vir
[Instrumental Sinfonia]
Potens in terra erit semen eius
Potens in terra erit semen eius
[Instrumental Sinfonia] . . . etc.
Soprano Solo
Full Choir
Two Sopranos
Two Tenors
Solo Soprano
Full Choir
Two Violins
Two Sopranos
Three Male Singers
Two Violins . . . etc.
Finally listen to Monteverdi's complete Psalm setting. First, concentrate on the kalaidoscopic changes in timbre that Monteverdi's
quick alternation of perfoming groups create.
With such sonic variety, not to mention a really long text, Monteverdi's challenge is to make "Beatus vir" cohere. First, note how he uses a walking bass accompaniment, an accompaniment that
moves in steady, equal lengths, almost like the tread of a person walking, in verses 1-4. Also notice how the opening words, "Beatus vir" (usually with the opening music) keep
returning as a
refrain (highlighted in yellow below). This happens after the first four verses (and within verse three), as well as after verses 9 and 10.
Listen next for the different way in which Monteverdi creates unity in psalm verses
5-9, (highlighted in blue). He sets these verses in triple meter--the rest of the piece is duple--over repeating
bass patterns, or ostinato basses. These repeating bass melodies are dominated by a relaxed, long-short rhythm. This section of the piece should start to sound familiar, comfortable, even predictable,
because of the repeated bass lines, recurring long-short rhythmic pattern, and returning melodies. There are still more types of
repetition, recall, and recursion in "Beatus vir" that make this long piece hang together. Can you identify some of them?
Finally, think about how Monteverdi uses music to illustrate the text. What techniques does he use, for example, to emphasize the meaning of the passages "exalted in glory" and
"perish" highlighted in gray.
Psalm 111 (numbers show verses)
1 Beatus vir qui timet Dominum:
in mandatis eius volet nimis. Beatus vir . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
2 Potens in terra erit semen eius:
generatio rectorum benedicetur. Beatus vir . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
3 Gloria et divitiae in domo eius Beatus vir . . .
et iustitia eius manet in saeculum saeculi. Beatus vir . . ./Instrumental Sinfonia
4 Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis:
misericors et miserator et justus. Beatus vir . . .
5 Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat:
disponet sermones suos in iudicio:
6 Quia in aeternum non commovebitur:
In memoria aeterna erit iustus.
7 Ab auditione mala non timebit:
Paratum cor eius sperare in Domino.
8 Confirmatum est cor eius:
non commovebitur donec dispiciat inimicos suos.
9 Dispersit dedit pauperibus:
iustitia eius manet in saeculum saeculi;
cornu eius exaltabitur in gloria. Beatus vir . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
10 Peccator videbit et irascetur:
dentibus suis fremet et tabescet;
desiderium peccatorum peribit. Beatus vir . . .
Gloria Patri et Filio
et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Psalm 111
1 Blessed is the man that fears the Lord:
he has great delight in his commandments. Blessed is the man . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth:
the generation of the faithful shall be blessed. Blessed is the man . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
3 Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house: Blessed is the man . . .
and his righteousness will endure for ever. Blessed is the man . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
4 To the godly a light rises in the darkness:
he is merciful, loving, and righteous. Blessed is the man . . .
5 A good man is merciful, and leads:
and will use his words with discretion.
6 For he shall never be moved:
and the righteous shall be remembered eternally.
7 He will not be afraid of any evil tidings:
for his heart stands fast & believes in the Lord.
8 His heart is established, and will not shrink:
until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has given to the poor:
and his righteousness remaineth for ever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory. Beatus vir . . . /Instrumental Sinfonia
10 The ungodly man shall see it, and grieve:
he will gnash with his teeth, and be consumed;
the desire of the ungodly shall perish. Beatus vir . . .
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever more shall be. Amen
