CHAPTER 1 | CATHOLIC MUSIC IN COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA 23
date: ca. 1800
performers: Chanticleer (male voices, two
violins, cello, organ, harp, guitar)
genre: Catholic hymn from California
missions
meter: triple, then duple
form: binary form with varied repeats:
AA'BB'Listening Guide 1.1 “¡O qué suave!” ANONYMOUStiming section text translation comments0:03 A ¡O qué suave y dulce
estáis, altísimo Dios
de amor!Oh, how gentle
and sweet you are,
exalted Lord of
love,Homophonic texture:
(1) a topmost melody with
(2) a lower line moving mostly in
parallel thirds ( both lines sung and
doubled by violins), over
(3) a bass line (cello), with organ,
harp, and guitar fi lling out the
harmony. The two phrases are not
quite symmetrical: 4 + 5 bars.
0:29 A' Cuando muy fi no
ocultáis con la nube
el resplandor.when so delicately
you hide with a
cloud your brilliant
splendor.Varied repeat, with changes in
rhythm. The phrases are extended to
6 bars each.1:09 B Change to a lively tempo and
a dancelike duple meter. The
performers here have opted to play
this section through the fi rst time
with instruments only.1:38 B' Enciéndase y arda
en mi corazón, mi
amante Divino, mi
rey, mi dueño y Señor,
pues al incendio puro
de tu dulce amor.Let it ignite and
burn in my heart,
my divine love, my
King, my Lord and
Master, in the pure
fi re of your sweet
love.The B section repeats with the
addition of voices.note Only the vocal parts are preserved in manuscript. For this performance, the music scholar Craig
Russell (who is heard playing guitar) has added parts for instruments known to have been present in the
missions.WHAT TO LISTEN FOR- alternation of gentle and lively dance
rhythms - texture of paired melodic lines in thirds over
a simple bass line - light instrumental accompaniment
Listen & Refl ect
- Does the music seem to refl ect the mood or meaning of the text, and if so, how?
- What features, if any, strike you as sounding particularly sacred or secular?
CD 1.1172028_01_018-043_r2_mr.indd 23 23/01/13 9:50 AM