Lasso was one of the most prolific composers that ever lived. He is said
to have written no less than two thousand five hundred original works. A
great number of these have been preserved, but the reader who is not able
to decipher antique scores will undoubtedly be most interested in those
which have been republished in modern form. These are as follows: his
famous seven Penitential Psalms, edited by S. W. Dehn and published in
Berlin in 1835; a "Regina coeli," "Salve Regina," "Angelus ad pastores,"
and "Miserere," Rochlitz's "Sammlung vorzüglicher Gesangstücke," Vol. I.,
published by Schott in 1838; a setting of the twenty-third Psalm as a
motet for five voices, a "Quo properas" for ten voices, and a Magnificat
for five, published at Berlin by Schlesinger; "Confirma hoc deus" for
six voices, Berlin, Guttentag; six German chansons (four voices) and one
dialogue (eight voices) in Dehn's "Sammlung alter Musik," Berlin, Crantz;
twelve motets (four to eight voices) in Commer's collection published
by Schott of Mainz; twenty motets in Proske's "Musica Divina"; the mass
"Qual donna attende" (five voices) in Proske's selection of masses
published at Ratisbon, 1856; the mass "Or sus à coup" (four voices),
edited by Ferrenberg and published by Heberle at Cologne in 1847. Many
more of his works have been edited and are ready for publication, but
remain in MS. The above list is taken from Scribner's "Cyclopedia of
Music and Musicians," and appears to be correct, as far as it goes.
Naumann's "History of Music" contains a very beautiful "Adoramus te
Christe," a chorale for four male voices. Lest the reader should fall
into the error of supposing that the great bulk of Lasso's works were
ecclesiastical, it should be mentioned that he wrote many German songs,
fifty-nine canzonets, three hundred and seventy-one French songs,
thirty-four Latin songs, and two hundred and thirty-three madrigals. Of
these last, at least one--"Matrona, mia cara"--holds its own among the
glees of to-day; and its quaint refrain of "Dong, dong, dong, derry,
derry, dong, dong," haunts every ear that once has heard it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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