Marc'Antonio Ingegneri

Cremona Cathedral

Constructed 1107 - c 1165

Where Ingegneri spent most of his career

Source: Wikipedia

Born in 1535 or 36 in Verona, Italy, though Marc'Antonio Ingegneri [een-jeh-NYEER-ee] wasn't a major composer in comparison to some, he was the teacher of Claudio Monteverdi during the late Renaissance. A conservative composer, the way the Roman Church liked them during the Counter-reformation, Ingegneri wrote music at a time when the Church was concerned that polyphony be duly pious, that is, clear and simple. Ingegneri studied with contemporary, Cypriano de Rore, in Parma. He likely studied under Vincenzo Ruffo in Verona as well.

It was 1570 that found Ingegneri composing in Cremona, probably working as an organist and string player too. He that year published 'Il primo libro de madrigali a quatro voci' in Venice, a book now lost. 'Il secondo libro de madrigali a cinque voci' followed in Venice in 1572, partially lost. His first book of sacred works was 'Liber Primus Missarum cum quinque et octo vocibus' published in Venice in 1573.

Kyrie of 'Missa Voce mea'   Mass by Marc'Antonio Ingegneri

No.3 of  'Liber Primus Missarum cum quinque et octo vocibus' Venice 1573

Choir of Girton College Cambridge directed by Gareth Wilson

'Missa Laudate pueri Dominum'   Mass by Marc'Antonio Ingegneri

'Praise ye the Lord' from 'Psalm 113' (depending on Bible)

No.4 of  'Liber Primus Missarum cum quinque et octo vocibus' Venice 1573

Choir of Girton College Cambridge directed by Gareth Wilson

Ingegneri became maestro di cappella of the cathedral in Cremona in 1581, where he would soon be teaching music to Monteverdi. Though he spent the remainder of his life in Cremona in northern Italy, Ingegneri is identified with the Roman school. Numerous of Ingegneri's works were responsories. Responses are chants in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church generally known as verses sung by a cantor or small group followed with a responsive refrain by the whole choir or congregation. In the Roman rite responsories are employed in processions, the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) and Holy Week. 'O Bone Jesu' a 4 is one of Ingegneri's best-known responsories of 27 written for Holy Week. Palestrina replied with his own version a 8 for double choir perhaps as early as the same year. 'O Bone Jesu' was published in 1588 in a volume I've not been able to identify. 'Tenebrae factae sunt' is one of nine responses for Good Friday of Holy Week published in 'Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae' in 1588 [contents]. Tenebrae ("darkness") is a service held during the three days preceding Easter during which candles are gradually extinguished. See also Tenebrae responsories.

'O Bone Jesu' ('O Good Jesus')

Responsory for Holy Week   Marc'Antonio Ingegneri   Pub 1588

Humana Chamber Choir directed by David Stratkauskas

'Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae' ('Responsories for Holy Week')

Book of responses   Marc'Antonio Ingegneri   Pub 1588

Les Sacqueboutiers De Toulouse / Choeur de Chambre de L'orchestre National de Lyon

Directed by Bernard Tétu

'Tenebrae factae sunt'   ('Darkness fell over the earth')

Responsory for Tenebrae or Good Friday of Holy Week   Marc'Antonio Ingegneri

From 'Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae' (above) pub in Venice 1588

Coro Amici della Musica directed by Gian Paolo Dal Dosso

Ingegneri's 'Lamentationes Hieremiae' was also published in Venice in 1588, three among which were recorded by the Convitto Armonico in 2002 (below). By the time of Ingegneri's death on 1 July 1592 he had left behind a couple books of masses and three books of motets from among at least nine volumes of sacred works (partially lost), and eight volumes of madrigals (the last posthumous in 1606).

Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae (contents / 1588)

Recordings of Ingegneri: Catalogs:

Discogs   Music Brainz   Presto

Recordings of Ingegneri: Select:

Feria quinta in Coena Domini ad matutinum by the Convitto Armonico / Stefano Buschini on Tactus TC 561901 / 2002

Missa Laudate pueri Dominum A8 by the Choir of Girton College Cambridge / Gareth Wilson on Toccata Classics TOCC 0556 / 2019:

All Music   jpc   Muziekweb   Planet Hugill

Missa Voce mea A5 by the Choir of Girton College Cambridge / Gareth Wilson on Toccata Classics TOCC 0630 / 2021:

All Music   Discogs   HIGHRESAUDIO   jpc

Muziekweb   Presto   Qobuz   Toccata Classics

Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae by Les Sacqueboutiers De Toulouse w the Choeur de Chambre de L'orchestre National de Lyon / Bernard Tétu / 1987

Scores: Corpus: IMSLP   Musicalics

Scores: Individual:

Missa Laudate pueri Dominum (mass pub 1573)

Missa Voce mea (mass pub 1573)

O Bone Jesu (responsory pub 1588): CPDL   IMSLP

Tenebrae factae sunt (responsory pub 1588): CPDL   IMSLP

Further Reading:

Christopher Carstens (The processional chants of the Mass / 2016)

Wikipedia (The processional hymn)

Authority Search: VIAF   World Cat

Other Profiles:

Wikipedia French

Wikipedia German