Aestimatus sum

Giovanni Croce was a notable composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque period, associated with the Venetian School. This motet, Aestimatus sum, is a powerful setting for double choir (SATB.ATTB) in Latin. The text, drawn from Psalm 88, describes a profound sense of abandonment and despair, comparing the speaker to the dead and cast down into the lowest pit. Croce's masterful use of the double choir allows for dramatic contrasts and rich, imitative textures, enhancing the text's somber and existential plea. The demanding voicings offer a significant opportunity for skilled choirs to explore dynamic shading and contrapuntal complexity, bringing this intense expression of spiritual anguish to life.