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The DWR Friday Baroque Interlude – “Nisi Dominus – Cum Dederit – Vivaldi
March 7, 2025 in Music | Tags: The DWR Friday Baroque Interlude - "Nisi Dominus - Cum Dederit - Vivaldi | by The Arbourist | Comments closed
One of the new pieces I’m working on. :) It’s hauntingly beautiful.
“Cum Dederit” is a movement from Antonio Vivaldi’s sacred work Nisi Dominus (RV 608), a setting of Psalm 127 composed around 1713–1717 during his time at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, where he worked with a talented all-female ensemble. This piece, written for solo alto voice, strings, and continuo, reflects Vivaldi’s Baroque style with its expressive siciliana rhythm, often used to evoke a meditative or sleep-like state, aligning with the text “Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum” (“When He gives His beloved sleep”). Though Vivaldi’s sacred music was less known during his lifetime compared to his concertos, Nisi Dominus showcases his skill in vocal composition. The work remained relatively obscure until the 20th-century revival of Vivaldi’s music, when scholars and performers began rediscovering his manuscripts. Today, “Cum Dederit” is celebrated for its haunting beauty and emotional depth, often performed by countertenors or contraltos in historically informed performances.
The Contralto version:
bleatmop
Mystro
The Arbourist
Dead Wild Roses 
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