Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet (Tallis)
| Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet | |
|---|---|
| by Thomas Tallis | |
 The "Beth" letter setting. CCA 3.0 Complete Score by the Aoede Consort on IMSLP.org | |
| Genre | Renaissance Choral music |
| Form | Motet |
| Text | For Tenebrae |
| Language | Latin |
| Composed | c. 1560-1570 |
| Scoring | 5 voices a cappella |
The Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet are two 5-part settings of the Lamentations composed by Thomas Tallis. H. B. Collins described the Lamentations in 1929 as Tallis's "crowning achievement", along with his 40-part motet Spem in alium.[1]
History
The Lamentations make up two settings, I and II, in the newer Caroline set of the Peterhouse Partbooks.[2] I and II were likely intended to be sung separately but modern performers sometimes sing the two settings together, as the texts are succeeding verses of the Book of Lamentations.[3] Tallis' Lamentations are part of a larger oeuvre of Lamentations settings produced by other English Catholic sympathisers (White, Byrd), for private home worship.[4]
In the Victorian period, a revival in Tallis' music began and the Lamentations had a great appeal.[5] In modern times, they are some of the most famous works by Tallis and among the most performed musical settings of the Lamentations.[6] The first setting is a key piece of the Tallis Scholars repertoire.[7]
Analysis
I and II are composed in two different modes and are generally in the new, highly-imitative Elizabethan style that had succeeded the older English votive style.[3] The counterpoint is more austere than that of continental composers.[8] However Commentators have remarked on how the Lamentations demonstrate Tallis' economy of means in composing less ornate polyphony in favour of textual clarity, word-painting and introspection.[9][10] A tonal shift at the second "Plorans ploravit" (in I) create pathos, while successive cross-relations at "virgines eius squalidae" (in II) express indignation.[3] At the final "convertere" verse in which Jeremiah prays for the restoration of Jerusalem, repetition of "Jerusalem" and frequent suspensions convey textual anguish.[11]
References
- ^ COLLINS, H. B. (1 April 1929). "THOMAS TALLIS(1)". Music and Letters. X (2): 152–166. doi:10.1093/ml/X.2.152. ISSN 0027-4224.
- ^ "Lamentations of Jeremiah (Thomas Tallis) - ChoralWiki". www.cpdl.org. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Tallis: Lamentations & other sacred music, retrieved 28 July 2025
- ^ Tallis: Lamentations of Jeremiah, retrieved 28 July 2025
- ^ Cole, Suzanne (2008). Thomas Tallis and His Music in Victorian England. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-84383-380-2.
- ^ Paul Doe and David Allinson. "Tallis, Thomas." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 18 Jul. 2014.
- ^ "BBC Radio 3 - The Early Music Show, The Tallis Scholars at 40". BBC. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ Doe, Paul (1976). Tallis. Internet Archive. London ; New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-314122-3.
- ^ Le Huray, Peter (1978). Music and the Reformation in England, 1549-1660. Internet Archive. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-21958-7.
- ^ Brett, Philip (1961). "The English Consort Song, 1570–1625". Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association. 88: 73–88. doi:10.1093/jrma/88.1.73. ISSN 0080-4452.
- ^ Milsom, John (1983). English polyphonic style in transition: a study of the sacred music of Thomas Tallis. OL 47865850M.
