What is the title of this Motet by Cherubini?

[John Fowler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vScKDFr1bEw&list=PLk-IgAEKYl2xW9YoTbHSevh1bpQjRkY7L&index=45
The booklet included with the 7 CD set identifies it as "Antifona sul canto fermo 8 tone" which is a description of the piece, not the title. Does anybody know what they are singing?

[Mitch Struble]

On Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 11:40:06 PM UTC-4, John Fowler wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vScKDFr1bEw&list=PLk-IgAEKYl2xW9YoTbHSevh1bpQjRkY7L&index=45
> The booklet included with the 7 CD set identifies it as "Antifona sul canto fermo 8 tone" which is a description of the piece, not the title. Does anybody know what they are singing?

John-

The text of the antiphon is:

Petrus apostolus
et Paulus doctor gentium
ipsi nos docuerunt
legem tuam Domine.

as given in a pdf of the booklet for Muti's performance on EMI CD 09646 3 94316 2 5.
Search: 0094639431557.pdf - IDAGIO

Cheers,
W. Uriel

[John Fowler]

Thank you for your kind response.
The 7 CD set of Muti conducting Cherubini Masses comes with a nice booklet, but it only covers the Masses, and ignores the two motets on CD 3.

"Antifona sul canto fermo 8 tona"

Petrus apostolus et Paulus doctor gentium
ipsi nos docuerunt legem tuam Domine.

[Peter the apostle and Paul, teacher of nations,
have themselves taught us thy law, O Lord.]

"Nemo gaudeat"
Nemo gaudeat super me desolatam ego enim derelicta
sum sola et clamabo ad Altissimum in diebus meis.
Quamdiu ponam consilium [ponam] auxilium in anima mea,
dolorem in corde meo per diem?
[Let no one rejoice over me in my desolation, for I have been
abandoned in my misfortune. And I shall cry to the Highest
all my days. How long shall I suffer anxiety in my soul,
and grief in my heart every day?] - adapted from 4 Baruch

[John Fowler]

Following the usual formula, the correct title of "Antifona sul canto fermo 8 tona" would be "Petrus apostolus" (?).
The other motet "Nemo gaudeat" is "adapted from 4 Baruch".
I looked "4 Baruch" on Wikipedia.
4 Baruch is a pseudepigraphical text of the Old Testament (written 136 AD).
The author is bemoaning the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 66 AD.
4 Baruch is only accepted as canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
I wonder how Cherubini heard about it?
Not to be confused with the Book of Baruch (c. 200 BCE to 100 BCE), a deuterocanonical book, accepted as canonical by Catholic and Orthodox churches, but not by Protestants or Jews.

[Mitch Struble]

Hi John-

Thanks for the information.
The date given for "Nemo gaudeat" is 1781 when Cherubini was still studying with Giuseppe Sarti, who wrote both operas and sacred music. So a guess would be that Sarti introduced him to the motet.

Cheers,
Mitch Struble