The Complete Motets 5

This volume includes twenty-six Lasso motets for five, six, and eight voices first published in Venice in Girolamo Scotto's Sacrae cantiones of 1565 and Antonio Gardano's Orlandi Lassi Sacrae Cantiones, books 2, 3, and 4. Lasso's settings of Italian texts had been frequently published in Italy since 1555, but his motets were not printed there (or almost anywhere else) until the 1560s.

Gardano and his successors eventually published eight numbered books of Lasso motets, but these three and Scotto's book are the only ones that contain a significant number of first editions. The increase in length of some of the motets in the French books of 1564 and 1565 (CM 4) is seen in the Italian books as well, with extended gospel settings such as "Missus est Angelus Gabriel," "In principio erat Verbum," and "Cum natus esset Jesus."

The hymn-motets "Jesu, corona virginum" and "Vexilla regis prodeunt" are similarly expansive. The setting of Savonarola's meditation on Psalm 50, "Infelix ego," is especially expressive. The ascription to Lasso of two motets in this volume, "Zachaee, festinans descende" and "Gloria Patri," is questionable.