| Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525--1594) has enjoyed a reputation as one of the most influential composers of the Renaissance. Yet rarely are his Vespers hymns, which employ many of the same compositional techniques as his masses and hymns, performed by modern choirs. This study will discuss three representative examples from Palestrina's forty-five hymns, providing background information on the Vespers Service, Renaissance choral performance practices, and specific suggestions for rehearsal and performance of these hymns.;The three hymns, Ave maris stella, Deus tuorum militum, and Iste confessor, are presented in a performance-oriented edition and subsequently analyzed. The source of the manuscripts is Palestrina's collection of hymns, Hymni totius anni, published in 1589. The editor worked from a microfilm copy of the part books, which are held in London.;Chapter Two provides brief background information about the Vespers service and the published hymns, Hymni totius anni. Chapter Three presents interpretation decisions that apply to all three of the representative hymns. Chapters Four through Six consist of an examination of the components and interpretation/performance problems, as well as presenting critical notes, of Ave maris stella, Deus tuorum militum, and Iste confessor. This is followed by appendices of the new editions of the three hymns.;Two appendices summarize information about the Hymni totius anni . The first is an index listing the feast celebrations, the date the Vespers Service celebrated the feast, the plainsong hymn used as the cantus firmus, and the number of voices used in each verse. The second appendix is a cross-reference, organized by the number of verses with the number of voices. This allows directors to select hymns by length and voices.;This document makes available to choral directors seldom-performed Renaissance music with suggested vocal exercises and concepts to enhance performance. The bibliography, a compilation of sources on Renaissance performance practices, Palestrina's style, and the editing of Renaissance music, should serve as a resource for the director's efforts toward authenticity in sixteenth-century music. |
