Jacob Handl

Jacobus Handl Gallus, a portrait from 1590

Aliases: Jacobus Gallus, Jacobus Gallus Carniolus, Iacobus Gallus

Life

Born: 03 July 1550

Died: 18 July 1591

Biography

Handl (equally well known as Gallus) was born as Jakob Petelin ("rooster", which translates to Handl in German and Gallus in Latin) in 1550 in Corniola (now Ribnica), Slovenia. He is best known for his sacred music. A Cistercian monk, Gallus travelled in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, and went to Melk Abbey, in Lower Austria. He was a member of the Viennese court chapel in 1574, and was choirmaster to the bishop of Olomouc, Moravia between 1579 and 1585.

He used the Latin form of his name, to which he often added the adjective Carniolus, thus giving credit to his home land, Carniola. His most notable work is the six part Opus musicum, 1577, a collection of motets that would eventually cover the liturgical needs of the entire ecclesiastical year. The motet O magnum mysterium comes from the first volume (printed in 1586) which covers the period from the first Sunday of Advent to the Septuagesima. This motet for 8 voices shows evidence of influence by the Venetian polychoral style, with its use of the coro spezzato technique.

His wide-ranging, eclectic style blended archaism and modernity. He rarely used the cantus firmus technique, preferring the then-new Venetian polychoral manner, yet he was equally conversant with earlier imitative techniques. Some of his chromatic transitions foreshadowed the breakup of modality; his five-voice motet Mirabile mysterium contains chromaticism worthy of Don Carlo Gesualdo. He enjoyed word painting in the style of the madrigal, yet he could write the simple Ecce quomodo moritur justus later used by George Frideric Handel in his funeral anthem The ways of Zion do mourn. Gallus died on July 18, 1591 in Prague.

The above is an excerpt from Wikipedia. For the full article, click here.

List of choral works

L E G E N D

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Ab Oriente Venerunt Magi   2 editions available Adoramus te, Jesu Christe a 6   (   Finale 2000 ) Adoramus te, Jesu Christe a 8   (   Finale 2000 ) Alleluia, In resurrectione tua Christe   (   Finale 1998 ) Ante Luciferum   (   Finale 2000 ) Ascendens Christus   (  ) Ascendit Deus   (   Finale 1998 ) Ave Maria   2 editions available Benedicta sit   (  ) Benedictus   (   Finale 2000 ) Canite tuba   (   Finale 1998 ) Christus factus est   2 editions available Civitatem istam   (   Finale 2000 ) Confirma hoc Deus   (  ) De coelo veniet   2 editions available Deus est Dicunt infantes   2 editions available Domus Pudici Pectoris Duo Seraphim   (   Finale 1998 ) Ecce concipies   3 editions available Ecce quomodo moritur justus   (   Finale 1998 ) Egredietur Virga   (  ) Elisabethae vero impletum est (De S. Ioanne Baptista)   (  ) Gaudeamus omnes fideles    Haec dies   (  ) Heroes Pugnate   (  ) In nomine Jesu   2 editions available

Jesu dulcis memoria  (  ) Jerusalem, gaude gaudio magno   (   Finale 2000 ) Laetitia sempiterna   (   Finale 2000 ) Laudate Dominum   (  ) Mirabile mysterium   2 editions available Missa super sancta Maria    Missa super "Un gay bergier"    Natus est nobis   3 editions available O admirabile commercium a 8 O bone Deus   (   Finale 2000 ) O magnum mysterium   (   ) Orietur Stella   (   ) O salutaris   (  ) O veneranda Trinitas   (   Finale 2000 ) Pater Noster   (   Sibelius 4 ) Praeparate corda vostra   (   Finale 2000 ) Preis, Dank, Lob, Ehr und Herrlichkeit   (  ) Pueri concinite   2 editions available Qui manducat meam carnem   (   Finale 2000 ) Quo mihi crude dolor tantum dominare   (  ) Regali ex progenie   (   Finale 2000 ) Regem natum   (   Finale 1998 ) Resonet in laudibus   3 editions available Rorate coeli   (   ) Stetis Jesus Super solium David   (   Finale 2001 ) Tempore felici multi numerantur amici   (   Finale 2004 ) Vae nobis   (   Finale 2000 ) Vox Clamantis in Deserto

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External links

• HOASM Biography