Cessate tympana, cessate praelia

Conductor Notes:

Maria Xaveria Peruchona (1652-1709) arrived as a young woman at the Novara convent in Northern Italy when Isabella Leonarda was there, the latter 32 years her senior and by then flourishing as a composer and leader. Peruchona’s Easter anthem was one of the later compositions on our Women of the Italian Baroque program in March 2020. I would sing it again in a heartbeat. It opens percussively as we invite the listener to “Cease, drums! Cease, battle!”. SSAA with a 12-bar alto solo.

Subsequent to Elektra’s performance, where we were reading from an SATB score with octave transpositions, Stephen Smith and I created an SSAA “Elektra Performers’ Edition” in which the continuo is realized for piano or organ. Our goal is to make this piece more approachable, especially for choirs that don’t have access to a period instrument ensemble. Our “Elektra Performer’s Edition” is newly transcribed with all vocal lines for SSAA and a separate keyboard part provided. Part-prominent audio rehearsal tracks are provided free with the licensed pdf.

The wonderful Cappella Artemisia has recorded their treble version of the SATB original on their “Weep and Rejoice” album. Highly recommended.

Text

Cessate tympana, cessate praelia.
Hodie organa triumphent. Alleluia.

Tubae omnes resonate,
Stellae pulchre decantate,
Quia resurrexit mundi lux,
Caeli dux qui nos dilexit.

O quam dulce mi Jesu videre
Tuos claros triumphos amoris.
Posunt omnes mortales gaudere
Dum tuere liber es paena dolores.

In tanta felicitate, in tanta jucunditate
Portas empirei reserate,
O praeclarissimi, O nobilissimi 
Caeli habitatores.

Monstrate jubila spargentes flores,
Vertendos odores.
Cantate gloria, quia resurrexit vera vita,
Quae nos dilexit. Alleluia.

Translation

Cease, drums; cease, battles!
Today the organ triumphs. Alleluia.

Let all trumpets resound,
Let the beautiful stars sing forth,
For the light of the world has arisen,
Heaven’s leader, who loves us.

O how sweet, my Jesus, to see
Your shining triumph of love.
All mortals can rejoice,
Being freed from pain and suffering.

In such happiness, in such delight,
You unlocked the gates of empires,
O most shining, O most noble 
Inhabitants of the heavens.

Show your jubilation by scattering flowers,
Spreading perfumes.
Sing of glory, for the true life has arisen,
That loves us. Alleluia.

Translation by Stephen Smith