2023 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance composer Mogens Pedersøn, and Edition·S is proud to be able to present a new, modernized edition of his indispensable masterpiece, Pratum Spirituale.
Pratum Spirituale was first published in 1620 and is one of the most significant works in Danish church music. The work contains 37 choral movements arranged for five-part choir, and gives a unique insight into the music in Danish churches in the first half of the 17th century. Pedersøn was deputy kapellmeister at Christian IV's court, and Pratum Spirituale was probably composed for use in the castle church during his employment there. The choral movements are based on Protestant hymns, such as Nu bede vi den Heliggånd and Et barn er født i Bethlehem, whose texts and melodies are still in use today.
The work's great musical historical significance has been recognized since the 19th century: it is the first collection of polyphonic choral arrangements in Danish and the first extensive work written by a Danish-born composer. Despite its status as a historical masterpiece, there hasn't been a user-friendly and accessible version of the complete work until now.
The new edition of Pratum Spirituale will make it much easier to perform the individual movements at church services, concerts and other events. The edition presents the music in modern notation and a gentle update of the text, so that choir singers and audiences today can perform, understand and enjoy it without a specialized knowledge of Renaissance music.
The new release of Pratum Spirituale has been created on the initiative of and in collaboration with the vocal ensemble Musica Ficta, composer and conductor Bo Holten. Harold Thalange, researcher at Musica Ficta and Bjarke Moe, senior editor at the Danish Language and Literature Association, are editors of the publication and Marita Akhøj Nielsen, senior editor at the Danish Language and Literature Association, has overseen the modernization of the Danish texts.
The publication of Pratum Spirituale will be celebrated on Thursday, November 9, with a release event, where the edition's three researchers will talk about the work and the process behind the new publication. That same evening, Musica Ficta and Bo Holten perform a concert in Trinitatis Church with selected pieces from Pratum Spirituale in focus.
The publication of Pratum Spirituale has been realized with financial support from the Beckett Foundation.
Mogens Pedersøn: Pratum Spirituale
- Released on 9 November
- SRA4 167 pages
- Price when buying one copy: DKK 450,-
- Unit price when buying 6 copies or more: DKK 250,-
- Pre-order: DKK 400,- / 250,-
Composer Mogens Pedersøn
Mogens Pedersøn was born in the mid-1580s and probably went to a Latin school in a Danish town. From here, he was recruited as a boy singer for Christian IV's court chapel and received a musical education. He was employed as a musician and later deputy kapellmeister at court, and the choral movements in Pratum Spirituale were most likely composed for use in the castle church during his employment there. Pratum Spirituale contains a foreword by Pedersøn, where he explains that the publication came about at the request of Christian IV.
Musica Ficta
The vocal ensemble Musica Ficta is an internationally recognized vocal ensemble founded and led by conductor and composer Bo Holten. Early European vocal music is Musica Ficta's speciality, and together with Bo Holten, the ensemble has brought many of the masterpieces of the Renaissance to first performances in modern times. The relationship between research and musical practice has always been at the core of the ensemble's work, and since the summer of 2022 the ensemble has had three researchers attached to unearth unknown and forgotten musical works from the time of Christian IV. It now leads to this first release in the project, namely Pratum Spirituale.
The Pedersøn anniversary year
Musica Ficta marks the anniversary year with a series of concerts revolving around Mogens Pedersøn's music.
- 6 November 20.00 – Koncertkirken, Copenhagen
- 7 November 20.00 – Vor Frelsers Kirker, Copenhagen
- 8 November 20.00 – Koncertkirken, Copenhagen
- 9 November 15.00 – Conference about Pratum Spirituale the new edition
- 9 November 19.30 – Trinitatis Kirke, Copenhagen
- 10 November 19.30 – Sct. Catharinæ Kirke, Hjørring
- 11 November 14.00 – Gug Kirke, Aalborg
Find more information about all events at www.ficta.dk
New release series: Monuments
Pratum Spirituale marks the launch of a new sub-edition at Edition·S, the Monuments publishing series created in collaboration with Musica Ficta and Bo Holten. Monuments is a series dedicated to publishing choral music from the Renaissance and early Baroque, which has particular cultural significance for Denmark. It includes works by Danish composers, such as Mogens Pedersøn, and foreign composers with whom Danish musicians from the period have studied. The majority of this music was found in handwritten books at Herlufsholm school, and is the subject of an extensive research project led by Ole Kongsted, Peter Hauge and Harold Thalange, and run by Musica Ficta Copenhagen with support from the Augustinus Foundation, and the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansens Foundation.