# Allegri Miserere mei, Deus



## EvaBaron

What do you think of this piece? There’s also a really fun backstory to this piece which I will copy from Wikipedia: _According to the popular story (backed by a letter written by Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang’s father, to his wife on April 14 1770), at fourteen years of age Mozart was visiting Rome when he first heard the piece during the Wednesday service. Later that day, he wrote it down entirely from memory, returning to the Chapel that Friday to make minor corrections. However, doubt has been cast on much of this story.[3] Less than three months after hearing the song and transcribing it, Mozart had gained fame for the work and was summoned back to Rome by Pope Clement XIV, who showered praise on him for his feat of musical genius and awarded him the Chivalric Order of the Golden Spur on July 4, 1770. Some time during his travels, he met the British historian Charles Burney, who obtained the piece from him and took it to London, where it was published in 1771. _
I also found a really good version on YouTube, but it’s not complete. The piece should last about twice as long.




Can anyone recommend me a good studio version?


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## Xisten267

My favorite version is the one with Edward Higginbottom and The Choir of New College, Oxford. Celestial in my opinion:


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## Mister Meow

I have this piece on a CD performed by the Cambridge Singers, and I would definitely recommend it.

The story sounds familiar, though the version of the story that I heard before is that this piece was only supposed to be heard in the Sistine Chapel, and it was, until the young Mozart heard it and transcribed it from memory. Who knows if there's any truth to it.


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## EdwardBast

Mister Meow said:


> I have this piece on a CD performed by the Cambridge Singers, and I would definitely recommend it.
> 
> The story sounds familiar, though the version of the story that I heard before is that this piece was only supposed to be heard in the Sistine Chapel, and it was, until the young Mozart heard it and transcribed it from memory. Who knows if there's any truth to it.


Both stories are wrong. Mozart's own letters establish that he heard it twice before he committed his transcription to paper, the second hearing to check and amend/correct/complete his initial sketch. In between hearings he worked with it at the keyboard.

There were pirated versions of the Miserere circulating before Mozart appeared on the scene.


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## Josquin13

If you're looking for a selection of excellent recordings to choose from, I'd strongly recommend the following five, and it will be up to you to pick which one or two recordings you most like, as they are each quite different from one another,

1. Tallis Scholars, led by Peter Phillips--this is the recording that put the Tallis Scholars on the map many years ago, & it's still one of the best recordings they've ever made, IMO. It also won a rosette award from the old Penguin Guide, & deservedly so,






2. Magnificat Choir, led by Philip Cave--this CD of choral works from the European "Golden Age" was a real sleeper when it came out (& still is), but unfortunately Cave & his singers never released a Vol. 2 as they had planned, so don't bother looking for it:






3. Choir of Westminster Abbey, led by Simon Preston:






4. Taverner Consort and Players, led by Andrew Parrott, on a CD devoted to music of the Sistine Chapel,






5. A Sei Voci, led by Bernard Fabre-Garrus--this is the only all Allegri disc on my list. You get two versions of the Miserere, the Messe Vidi Turbam, and three Motets by Allegri. I'm not a big fan of this group's Josquin Desprez series, at least not when they sing with a children's choir (who are in above their heads), but their Allegri disc is very well sung by just the adult singers in the group,














Gregorio Allegri, Bernard Fabre-Garrus, A Sei Voci - Allegri: Miserere; Messe Vidi Turbam Magnum; Motets - Amazon.com Music


Gregorio Allegri, Bernard Fabre-Garrus, A Sei Voci - Allegri: Miserere; Messe Vidi Turbam Magnum; Motets - Amazon.com Music



www.amazon.com





Yet, my two favorite Misereres are (1) the Miserere mei Deus by Josquin Desprez, and (2) the Miserere Nostri by Thomas Tallis, if you wish to explore further.

(1) Here are my four favorite recordings of Josquin's Miserere mei Deus, which one notable music scholar considered to be the musical equivalent of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes, & one of the towering works of the early Renaissance. Although when Josquin composed his Miserere in 1503-04, Michelangelo hadn't yet started to paint his ceiling, which he began in 1508. Interestingly, in 1503, the whole Sistine ceiling depicted constellations of stars instead. I think you'll hear how influential Josquin's Miserere was on Allegri's,

1. Miserere mei Deus secundum "Psalm 50"
1.


Miserere mei, Deus (Josquin) - from CDA67959 - Hyperion Records - MP3 and Lossless downloads


3. Josquin Des Prez: Miserere mei Deus
4. Miserere mei, Deus

(2) The Tallis Scholars are excellent in the Tallis Miserere, as you might expect, but the best recording I've ever heard of the work is from the Magnificat Choir led by Philip Cave: Miserere.


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## Mr Belpit

This video explains how the version of the Miserere commonly heard nowadays came to be. It's a very strange story.


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## Rogerx

Mr Belpit said:


> This video explains how the version of the Miserere commonly heard nowadays came to be. It's a very strange story.


Thank you for the information. Very in formative,


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