Latin lyrics

Agnus Dei (Ferrari) - mp3 - 70-1, 6/1/2013

This song (here you can find the original score and therecording of its first execution) has been composed at the end of a course of study on counterpoint, starting from the “Veni creator Spiritus” Gregorian melody. With this piece, a Sanctus and a Kyrie have been composed as well (you can find both here) and the three pieces have been executed on May 26th 2013 in the San Giuliano church in Bologna. It could be used as music after communion.

Alleluia (Soli) - mp3 (executed in G) - Tab - 24b-1, 11/23/2009, original in G

From the collection “Chiesa di Dio, popolo in festa” (EDB 1986) by rev. GianCarlo Soli published for the 1987 eucharistic congress in Bologna (see Agnello di Dio and Atto Penitenziale as well). The original is played in G but it can be executed in F. There is also a beautiful coda written for SATB choir (see below). This transcription was made for liturgical parish purpose. I play it regularly (usually without acclamation) and it seems to me that it works quite well.

Alleluia (Soli) - 24c-1, 1/22/2014

Alleluia - coda (Soli) - mp3 (only of the coda - executed in G) - 80-1, 1/20/2014, original in G

It is the same Alleluia as above in the complete version with 4-voices coda useful during solemnity. Better use should be to propose with a single voice, answer with the 4 voices, the strophe sung by a soloist and interludes of choir, and finally 4-voices again. At the end of the Gospel the 4-voices Alleluia is repeated and it can be followed by the coda. I had to rewrite so to have the same tonality during Alleluia and coda. Needless to say that the assembly joins the choir during the 4-voices Alleluia.

Alleluia (trad.) - mp3 - Tab - 42-1, 4/22/2011, original in D, harmonization Soli

A traditional Alleluia that the Cathedral choir often used some time ago when it was still called Calab Choir (the acronym stands for Center for the Animation of the Liturgy of the Archdioceses of Bologna). A simple and good-working Alleluia that goes well with guitar use. This transcription was made for liturgical use during some masses where people from different communities were coming as it is a well-known melody

Ave gratia plena (Ponce) - mp3 - 64-1, 7/1/2012, original in G

This transcription of the 3-voices Manuel Ponce’s choral, mexican author (1882-1948) is thought for instrumental use only. Infact the choosen tonality is far from the original and the position choosed on the fretboard doesn’t allow the use of the capo. I met this piece while preparing a wedding mass, I liked it and I tried to see how it worked on a guitar. I think it can be a good piece for meditative moments, i.e. after communion.

Ave Maria (Arcadelt) - mp3 - 117-1, 5/22/2015

Variant 1 - mp3 - 117a-1, 5/31/2015

Version 2 - mp3 (voice and guitar) - mp3 (guitar) - 117b-1, 6/27/2015, original in F

This very popular piece is simply a rehash of a secular song (Nous voyons que les hommes) from Jacques Arcadelt (1507-1568) made by Pierre-Louis Dietsch (1808-1865). Briefly, half a false history. Here you can find three transcriptions, the first two are unlikely playable on the original tonality (maybe the second one, I suggest to avoid to go further than D using the first one) and a third one that does not follow completely the melody so to permit to reach the F.

Gaudete (from Piae Cantiones) - mp3- Tab - 241-1, 12/26/2017, original in C

Taken from the collection Piae Cantiones ecclesiasticae et scholasticae veterum episcoporum, containing medieval songs from north Europe, published in 1582 by finnish Jaakko Suomalainen (Jacobus Finno), headmaster of the Cathedral School at Turku, this simple but well-done choral seem to be really effective. Thanks to Michele that called me to sing it in a beautiful Christmas celebration. Note: this piece has been recorded by Angelo Branduardi in his Futuro Antico album.

Haec dies (Bach) - mp3 - 114-1, 5/4/2015, original in B flat

I had already tried to transcribe this beautiful choral from Cantata n.15. Now I have made some simplifications and I wrote it for two guitars, I moved it one and a half tone below (and it’s not thought for using a fretboard) and I used an organ score as reference instead of the complete one. I hope the resulting item is quite acceptable, I will try to do better in the future. Note: to better clarify voices textures I wrote soprano and tenor voices.

Kyrie (Gregorian) - 68-1, 4/7/2013, original in D moll (rough definition just to sign a sort of reference tonality used for the harmonization), harmonization Stefani

Version 1 - mp3 - 79-1, 1/18/2014, original in D moll (see above), harmonization Pietra

For a practical accompaniment of this easy but really efficacious Gregorian Kyrie, avoiding any discussion on the opportunity of doing this. Transcription made for liturgical use but seldom used as I prefer playing with shelled chords.

Panis angelicus (Franck) - mp3 - 94-1, 9/28/2014, original in F

Variant 1 - mp3 - 26a-2, 11/1/2014

Variant 2 - mp3 - 26b-3, 5/10/2020, original in F

Popular Cesar Franck’s piece composed at the end of the XIX century on the St. Thomas’s hymn "Sacris solemniis". Notissimo brano di Cesar Franck composto a fine ottocento su un testo preso dall'inno "Sacris solemniis" di San Tommaso d'Aquino. This version is thought for a solo tenor, I used it in a wedding some times ago. Here it is proposed a complete transcription, not easy but not too difficult, and two simplified versions (in two tonality) in which it is not transcribed the introduction and some instrumental passages.

Stabat Mater (Kodaly) - mp3 - 115-1, 5/15/2015

Variant 1 - mp3 - 115b-1, 5/15/2015, original in B moll

From Jacopone da Todi’s text, Kodaly extracted this deep choral that I met when I subscribed the request of a friend of mine that was looking for tenors. The first version is lowered of one tonality from the original but it is hard to play with a fretboard. The second version, lowered to E moll, although not easy to play, is available for a VII position fretboard so to bring it back to the original tonality.