Sulpitia Cesis facts for kids

Sulpitia Lodovica Cesis was born on May 15, 1577, in Modena, Italy. She was a talented Italian composer and also played the lute very well. Her father, Count Annibale Cesis, gave a large sum of money (300 pieces of gold) as her dowry when she joined an Augustinian convent in Modena in 1593. She was a nun at the convent of Saint Geminiano in Modena. Her only known musical work is a book called Motetti Spirituali, which she wrote in 1619.

About Motetti Spirituali

This collection of music has 23 motets, which are like short musical pieces, written for 2 to 12 voices. Most of the motets are in Latin, but four are in Italian. Some experts think the music might have been written even before 1619 because of its style.

What makes her work special is that, unlike other composers of her time, she included notes for instruments like cornetts, trombones, and violones. Her pieces written for 12 voices were also quite different from the popular 2-3 voice songs of the 1600s.

There is also a bass part in her music. This is interesting because the music was written for nuns who lived in a cloistered (closed-off) community. One idea is that this part was played by an organ or a viola da gamba (a string instrument). Another idea is that the low parts might have been sung an octave higher (a higher version of the same note), as she wrote this instruction for some sections.

Cesis dedicated her music collection to another nun named Anna Maria Cesis. Anna Maria lived at the Convent of Santa Lucia in Rome. Both Sulpitia Cesis's and Anna Maria Cesis's convents were well known for their beautiful music.

Sulpitia Cesis is also mentioned in a historical record by Giovanni Battista Spaccini. He wrote about life in Modena and mentioned that one of Sulpitia's motets was performed outside the church of San Geminiano in 1596 during a religious parade.

Example of Sulpitia Cesis's Music

One of Sulpitia Cesis's pieces is called "Mary Magdalena et altera Maria." This song was not meant for everyone in a church to sing. It is a part of a story from the Bible, Matthew 28:1-7.

Here is what the words mean: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb.

It is Jesus whom you seek. He is not here; he is risen as He said, and goes before you to Galilee. There you will see Him.

In this song, Cesis adds special musical parts called "melismatic phrases" to highlight names like Mary Magdalene. She also uses music to show the word surrexit (He is risen). The music mostly has a simple, clear sound, but she uses interesting harmonies and sounds that clash a little to show the miracle of Jesus disappearing (Non est hic, meaning "He is not there").

Motet Titles

Here are the names of the motets in her collection:

• Hodie gloriosus
• Cantate Domino
• Io so ferito si
• Jubilate Deo
• Il mio piu vago sole
• Pecco Signore
• Salve gemma confessorum
• O Crux splendidior
• Cantemus Domino
• Angelus ad pastores
• Benedictus Dominus
• Dulce nomen Jesu Christe
• Stabat Mater
• Hic est beatissimus
• Quest'è la bella [...]
• O Domine Jesu Christe
• Sub tuum praesidium
• Maria Magdalena
• Ecce ego Joannes
• Puer qui natus est
• Magi videntes stellam
• Ascendo ad Patrem
• Parvulus filius

See also

In Spanish: Sulpitia Cesis para niños