José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767–1830), Brazilian composer and priest, was one of the Americas’ foremost exponents of the Classical style. His setting of Psalm 116, Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes, composed in 1821, is one of two Vesper psalms in which Nunes Garcia drew inspiration from themes in Haydn’s The Creation.
Scored for alto or bass soloist, SATB choir, two clarinets, two horns, two violins, and cello/bass, this approximately eleven-minute work combines Classical elegance with the distinctive voice of one of Brazil’s most important early composers. Editor Michael Driscoll provides optional trumpet parts in place of the original horn parts, expanding the work’s performance possibilities.
This edition also marks the first publication of a choral score with a piano reduction of the orchestral parts, making this remarkable work accessible to a wider range of ensembles and performers.
