Certa fortiter

Nicolaus Listenius was a theorist and composer active in the 16th century. Certa fortiter is a sacred work for two male voices, TB. The Latin text presents a series of exhortations: fight bravely, pray fervently, work diligently, study frequently, and be glad to be silent. These instructions are set as a canon, a contrapuntal compositional technique that originated in the Renaissance. The piece showcases Listenius's skill in weaving together voices in imitation, creating a rich texture from a simple textual basis.