This madrigalian setting of Psalm 147, published posthumously in 1650, serves as a reminder of just how expert some of Monteverdi’s singers at St Mark’s were, allowing him to write rapid virtuoso lines for words like ‘spargit’ (‘scattereth’ – verse 5) and ‘fluent’ (‘run’ – verse 7). Most of the setting is conceived in a dance-like triple time, but the text ‘et liquefaciet ea’ (‘and shall melt them’ – verse 7) is set in suitably melting duple-time harmonies, and verses 2 and 6 are set to a duple-time refrain which is also used for the ‘Gloria Patri’, where it is unexpectedly interrupted by a repeat of the joyful music (and the text) with which the setting began. This refrain is marked ‘tutti’, as distinct from ‘à 3’ (for three voices), suggesting choir with soloists; at these points, an editorial chorus part has been added since the harmony often seems surprisingly thin, perhaps indicating that, as in other Monteverdi psalms, there may be additional parts missing.
from notes by John Whenham © 2004
