“Comfort of the imprisoned”:
A Saint Louis motet by Jean Richafort restored
Coming soon.
Jean Bourdichon
Louis XII of France Kneeling in Prayer
Tempura and gold, 1498–1499
Getty Museum; Ms. 79a, recto
CUT CIRCLE live at CCRMA (5/23/25)
Directed by Jesse Rodin
Jonas Budris, superius
Bradford Gleim, contratenor
Daniel Koplitz, tenor
Rupert Peacock, bassus
Acoustically modeled in the historical chambre du roi of the donjon Vincennes courtesy of data from VALSOUNDS.
Text and translation
Prima pars
Consolator captivorum Ludovice piissime Francorum atque Britonum.
Gloria nos respice omnium ad te clamantium vota pie suscipe
ut possimus una tecum sedes sanctas scandere.
Secunda pars
Modo in Gallis regnantem validum Ludovicum
facias diu viventem victoremque hostium.
Aeternum possides regnum ubi semper frueris
relinquens regale sceptrum gaudiis sempiternis.
Amen.
O Louis, comfort of the imprisoned, most pious of the French and Bretons: look upon us from glory, receive mercifully the prayers of all those who cry out to you, that we may ascend as one with you to the sacred thrones.
Grant that the powerful Louis, now reigning in Gaul, may live long and be victorious over his enemies.
You possess an eternal dominion, where you will forever delight, relinquishing the royal scepter, in everlasting joys.
Amen.
(trans. Simon Frisch)
This performance was made possible by:
The Shenson Fund
Stanford Department of Music Stanford
CCRMA (Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics)
Stanford CMEMS (Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies)
The France-Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Studies