This edition was prepared by Wim Looyestijn — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Dies irae
Staff Notation • Sacred, Burial / Funeral Hymns
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Dies irae by Giacomo Antonio Perti — Lyrics
1. Dies irae, dies illa
solvet saeclum in favilla,
teste David cum Sibylla.
2. Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando iudex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus?
3. Tuba mirum spargens sonum,
per sepulchra regionum,
coget omnes ante thronum.
4. Mors stupebit et natura,
cum resurget creatura,
iudicanti responsura.
5. Liber scriptus proferetur
in quo totum continetur,
unde mundus iudicetur.
6. Iudex ergo cum sedebit,
quidquid latet, apparebit;
nil inultum remanebit.
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About Dies irae
Giacomo Antonio Perti's setting of the Dies irae text is a powerful and dramatic work for SATB choir. This Latin sequence, traditionally associated with Requiem Masses and the commemoration of the dead, opens with the terrifying imagery of the Day of Wrath. The music would convey the immense fear and awe as the world is consumed by fire and all souls are gathered before the divine judgment. The composer's setting vividly depicts the trumpet's call, the astonishment of death and nature, and the opening of the book of deeds, underscoring the solemnity and gravity of the final reckoning. This piece is particularly suited for services remembering the departed or for concerts exploring profound theological themes.
