Allegri's Miserere Mei

March 23, 2005 11:03 AM

Gregorio Allegri's Miserere Mei [MP3, Coral cache] has been performed in the Sistine Chapel every Holy Week since 1638, but the haunting a cappella piece had a long, strange trip to get to the outside world.
posted by turbodog (25 comments total)

The linked MP3 isn't the greatest recording, but it was the only one I could find online. The choir is a little shaky at first, but they get it going by the end.

Don't miss the opportunity to hear this performed live. It's absolutely jaw-dropping.
posted by turbodog at 11:07 AM on March 23, 2005

One of the greats. I have a version by Kings College from some time in the seventies. It's the best I've ever heard. When the little bugger hits that ethereal top note... Jeeeesus. It doesn't sound human.
posted by Decani at 11:16 AM on March 23, 2005

Kings College choir, obviously. Not the rugby team. Although I'd sort of fancy hearing that, come to think of it.
posted by Decani at 11:17 AM on March 23, 2005

the link's already dead
posted by matteo at 11:18 AM on March 23, 2005

Both Allegri's Miserere and the 51st Psalm (on which the work was based) have been nodal elements in my life. While the linked MP3 is a bit screechy, I would recommend the recording mentioned in the linked CD review and history; the Tallis Scholars capture perfectly the ethereal "choir of angels" effect magnifying the psalmist's own grieved guilt.

So enamoured was I with this choral work, in fact, that I made it into a Flash art piece for an interactive design class. (Warning: self-link, popup, flash, frames, potentially loud onmouseover sounds, and bible text.)

On preview: Ooo, Decani, the Kings College version is even better.
posted by brownpau at 11:18 AM on March 23, 2005

Oh, another thing:

Allegri's Miserere = iTunes
Catholic Church = Apple
Papal Ban = DRM
Mozart = DVD John

Did I get it right? ;)
posted by brownpau at 11:22 AM on March 23, 2005

Gorgeous music. Cool back-story. Great post.
posted by gwint at 11:23 AM on March 23, 2005

the link's already dead

It worked for me
posted by berek at 11:26 AM on March 23, 2005

Well. That was beautiful. Good post.
posted by sciurus at 11:53 AM on March 23, 2005

Excellent Post T. Stunning to consider that anyone, even a 12 year old Mozart, could capture such a piece in one hearing and write it from memory. No doubt he was even more inspired upon hearing it than we are.
posted by RMALCOLM at 12:10 PM on March 23, 2005

One of my favourites ... cheers! I first encountered it as a sample by the Orb ...
posted by carter at 12:10 PM on March 23, 2005

If the Coral cache is flaky, here's a link to the original site. I just didn't want it to get hammered.

FWIW, the only recording I have is on Cathedral Classics.
posted by turbodog at 12:18 PM on March 23, 2005

i remember when i was 11 my piano teacher told me the story of that song. i had completely forgotten about it until today. thanks for the link and the mp3.
posted by Igor XA at 12:23 PM on March 23, 2005

carter, what orb track is that?
posted by Igor XA at 12:26 PM on March 23, 2005

Reading the story got me kinda mad. The truly beautiful horded by the Church....share this beautiful thing with others and we/God will punish you. sickening.
posted by dontrememberthis at 1:14 PM on March 23, 2005

Miserere Dominus,
Miserere Dominus,
Canis mortuus est.
posted by AlexReynolds at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2005

Igor XA: "Into the Fourth Dimension," from "The Orb's Adventures beyond the Ultraworld." There's a better (I think) version of this on their Peel Sessions CD.
posted by carter at 2:57 PM on March 23, 2005

By the way, the church scene in Face/Off used the Miserere Mei for background music. I thought it was extremely annoying.
posted by brownpau at 3:10 PM on March 23, 2005

A beautiful piece of music. Thanks for sharing.
posted by deborah at 4:16 PM on March 23, 2005

link works now, thanks
posted by matteo at 4:32 PM on March 23, 2005

A properly formatted Google search turns up a few better copies.
posted by fake at 4:35 PM on March 23, 2005

Yes this is beautiful. If you like this sort of thing Stabat Mater
by Vivaldi is heartbreaking , but not popular. the music was discovered in 1939. worth checking out,Easter and all.
posted by hortense at 8:30 PM on March 23, 2005

hortense: speaking of musical renditions of the Stabat Mater, Giovanni Pergolesi's has always been one of my favorites; when I learned later that he'd composed it while dying of tuberculosis it became rather more powerful.

Dvorák's is also quite good.
posted by ubernostrum at 12:42 AM on March 24, 2005

And apparently Metafilter doesn't like the accented 'r' in Dvorak's name...
posted by ubernostrum at 12:42 AM on March 24, 2005

Decani : the high part was originally sung by a castrati,
your bugger comment made me chuckle :-)
posted by hortense at 1:06 AM on March 24, 2005