Audi tellus

The text urges all of creation and humanity to listen, for worldly glory and riches are fleeting. It enumerates those who once held great power, wisdom, and beauty – kings, philosophers, poets, generals – and asks where they are now, likening their passing to ice melting in the sun. This motet for SSAA and TTBB voices, sung in Latin, reflects on the transient nature of earthly achievements. Jacob Handl's setting provides a profound musical meditation on humility and the ephemeral quality of worldly renown, contrasting it with spiritual permanence. The rich eight-part texture allows for sonorous and dramatic expression of this powerful message.