Protexisti me Deus (Francesco Durante)

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• (Posted 2025-01-20)  CPDL #83492:   

Editor: Walter Heeroma (submitted 2025-01-20).   Score information: A4, 6 pages, 130 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: This is an edition of the score, made by Walter Heeroma from the manuscripts in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (dated between 1745 and 1765) and in the library of the Conservatory of Milano (1862).

Copyright: © Walter Heeroma, 2025. Users are free to download and print the score for personal use or to share them within their choirs, and to use the edition for performances and recordings. Any commercial use, e.g. printing and selling scores, is prohibited without explicit permission by the copyright holder. Any conversion of PDFs to editable files, as well as updating and republishing such files, is not allowed.
If the edition is used for a performance or recording, the editor would enjoy to receive a notice at hehe-editions. Any comments on the edition may be sent to the same e-mail address, and will be highly appreciated.

General Information

Title: Protexisti me, Deus
Composer: Francesco Durante
Lyricist: Unknown
Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: SSATB
Genre: Sacred, Motet

Language: Latin
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1745
Description: This motet is somewhat of a curiosity. In 1744, the composer Leonardo Leo died, and in 1745 Durante succeeded him as primo maestro at the Conservatorio di S Onofrio. He also petitioned the king of Naples to appoint him Leo’s successor as primo maestro of the royal chapel. An open competition, however, was held, in which Durante took part on April 21, 1745 along with Giuseppe de Majo, Giuseppe Marchitti, Nicola Sala and others, and to this end Durante sent in the present a cappella setting on the cantus firmus Protexisti me Deus. The judges were Constanzi of Rome, Perti of Bologna, Jommelli of Venice, and Hasse, then also in Venice. Jommelli praised Durante’s contribution, though Perti was critical. The appointment went to De Majo, vicemaestro of the chapel.
The motet has been written in stile antico, which also is manifested in Durante's Messa in quattro voce alla Palestrina.

External websites:

• The manuscripts used as sources for this edition can be found at:
  https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b108653085.r=Durante%20Concorso?rk=21459;2
  https://search.bibliotecadigitale.consmilano.it/explore?bitstream_id=453958&handle=20.500.12459/2567&provider=iiif-image&viewer=mirador

Original text and translations

Latin text Protexisti me, Deus, a conventu malignantium, alleluia: a multitudine operantium iniquitatem, alleluia, alleluia.

English translation Protect me, o God, from the secret council of the wicked, alleluia : from the multitude of evil doers, alleluia, alleluia.