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@ Biro Bela
2025-05-16 01:03:23
Composed in 1638, Allegri’s “Miserere” was originally intended to only be sung during Holy Week, and to never leave the Sistine Chapel in order to preserve the mystery of the music.
The legend says that in 1770, a 14-year-old Mozart visited Rome during Holy Week and heard Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere mei, Deus” performed in the Sistine Chapel. The piece, written in 1638, was so highly guarded by the Vatican that copying or performing it elsewhere was forbidden under penalty of excommunication.
After hearing it just once, Mozart went back to his lodgings and wrote the entire piece from memory, returning a day later to make minor corrections. His feat of musical transcription stunned the Vatican, and instead of punishing him, Pope Clement XIV praised his talent.
Here it is performed by St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, conducted by Andrew Carwood. https://blossom.primal.net/dcfb914bfad534b4f9f5a0b8c6fb994bcdbedcdfd8bbf939aece012263070b9f.mp4