Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere Mass in nine parts for two choirs, written between 1630-38, was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and was to be sung exclusively in the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week—as it has been every year since 1638. This mass, based on Gregorian chants, is still sung there on Wednesday and Good Friday after 26 candles are extinguished, while one still burns. It was known to be one of the most beautiful church compositions, characterized by an intense sadness.
Pope Urban insis...
Subscribe today (returning users login) to access more of this article as well as the entire Enneagram Monthly archive.
