As this year comes to a close, take a look back at new recordings of Copland’s music released in 2020.
Read more- Title
- Four Motets
- For
- unaccompanied mixed chorus (SATB)
- Alternate Titles
- Motets (Alternate/Synonymous)
- Quatre Motets (Alternate/Synonymous)
- Year Composed
- 1921
- ARCO Number(s)
- 4
- Category
- Choral
- Duration
- 13'
- Text Information
- Bible
- Songs
- 1. Help Us, O Lord
- 2. Thou, O Jehovah, abideth forever
- 3. Have Mercy on Us, O My Lord
- 4. Sing Ye Praises to Our King
- Premiere
- World: Fontainebleau, October 15th, 1924 (Paris-American-Gargenville Chorus, cond. Melville Smith)
- Publisher
- Boosey & Hawkes
- Publishing Status
- Published
Program Note
Nadia Boulanger required her pupils to learn to compose traditional forms, among them the motet. Written under her instruction, Copland's motets make use of biblical texts for an a capella chorus of mixed voices. He wrote, "I think of these as student pieces that show some influence of Moussorgsky, whom I admired. I agreed to their publication with mixed emotions. While they have a certain curiosity value — perhaps people want to know what I was doing as a student — the style is not yet really mine."
- Author
- Vivian Perlis
- Year
- 1998