This edition was prepared by Willem Verkaik — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ego dormio
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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4 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Ego dormio by Claudio Monteverdi — Lyrics
Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat: vox dilecti mei pulsantis,
Aperi mihi, soror mea, [sponsa,] amica mea, columba mea, [formosa mea, speciosa mea,]
immaculata mea. Quia caput meum plenum est rore, et cincinni mei guttis noctium.
Aperui dilecto meo pessulum ostii mei [at ille totus desiderabilis clamans ad me]
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About Ego dormio
Claudio Monteverdi's Ego dormio is a sacred motet for two voices, soprano and bass. The Latin text draws from the Song of Songs, a collection of love poetry often interpreted allegorically in Christian tradition. The passage speaks of the soul's awakening and longing for spiritual union, with the beloved knocking at the door. The soprano and bass voices can represent the soul and the divine, or two facets of the soul's experience. The music would suit moments of contemplative reflection within a service, perhaps during Advent or Lent, or as a profound offering in a motet concert programme. The composer masterfully sets the sensuous imagery of the text to music that is both intimate and devotional.
