Download Rossini`s Petite Messe Solennelle

Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle
Rossini is best known as a composer of operas (including The Barber of Seville and William Tell) but he also
wrote some sacred music, particularly in his later years - long after he had given up composing operas. His
Petite Messe Solennelle is considered the masterpiece of his retirement and belies its title. A fully scored
mass, it is far from solemn and is very enjoyable to sing, as many members who sang it with the Society in
2006 will attest. The four soloists will include mezzo Janet Shell, who sang Elgar’s Sea Pictures at our May
Concert, and Edmund Danon, the young bass-baritone who sang last year in Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light.
The work includes the usual Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei (although some sections
are sub-divided), and there are two additional movements: O Salutaris (comprising lines from one of the
eucharistic hymns of Thomas Aquinas) and an instrumental Interlude. Another unusual feature is the
accompaniment, which is for piano and harmonium.
The text is not in French but in Latin. Most of us are familiar with its pronunciation, but here are reminders.
A general point is that the pronunciation is not the same as some of us were taught in school Latin lessons.
That was Classical Latin, the language of Virgil, whereas Ecclesiastical Latin is pronounced as Italian is
spoken in Rome (and also, presumably, as it was in Bologna by Rossini).
Vowels
A is pronounced as in Barn, not as in Ban
E is pronounced as in Bed, not as in Bay
I is pronounced as in Feet, not as in Fit
O is pronounced as in For, not as in Foe or in Fob
U is pronounced as in Moon, not as in Mug
Y is pronounced as is I, and is never a consonant (although the letter I can be – see below)
Double Vowels: as a general rule, when two vowels occur together, each is sounded.
However AE and OE are pronounced as in Bay.
Consonants
C before a, o or u is pronounced as in cat, cot or cut
C before e, i, y, ae or oe is pronounced as in church
CC before e, i, y, ae or oe is pronounced as in itch
CH is always pronounced as in chorus (never as in church or in choir)
G before a, o or u is pronounced as in gat, got or gut
G before e, i, y, ae or oe is pronounced as in gem
GH is always pronounced as in get
GN is pronounced as the ny in canyon
H is silent (except in mihi and nihil, where it is pronounced k)
I is pronounced as consonantal y when it is the initial letter of a word and followed by a vowel
J is always pronounced as consonantal y
K is always pronounced as in kirk
NGU is pronounced as in anguish
QU is pronounced as in quick
R should be rolled, if possible
S is usually pronounced as in sea, but sometimes as in misery when between vowels
SC before a, o or u is pronounced as in scale
SCH is pronounced as in school
SC before e, i, y, ae or oe is pronounced as in shine
T is pronounced as in Tom
TH is pronounced as in Thomas
TI before another vowel is pronounced as the ts in gutsy
X is pronounced as in exam at the beginning of a word and as in axe at the end
XC before e, i, y, ae or oe is pronounced ksh as in backshift
XC before a, o or u is pronounced as in excuse
Z is pronounced dz as in adze
(B, D, F, K, L, M, N, P, PH and V are pronounced as in English)
Double consonants should each be sounded separately