Giovanni Gabrieli’s Easter motet Angelus Domini descendit comes from his Sacrae Symphoniae of 1597.
A setting of the identical text by Gabrieli’s pupil, Hans Leo Hassler, has already appeared in this series.
Although not as dramatic in nature as some of Gabrieli’s later motets, this work responds rather acutely to the differing images in the text, and contains a certain amount of word-painting.
(Bernard Thomas)
Translation:
The angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and, drawing near, rolled away the stone and sat on it, and said to the women: Fear not: for I know that you seek him that was crucified; he is not here, he has now arisen, come and see the place where the Lord was laid. Alleluia.
