Originated in the declamation of the Passion of Our Lord in front of the altar by the deacon and later by different persons, as the words of Our Lord by the priest, of the Evangelist by the deacon, and of the crowd (turba) and others by the sub-deacon. The interrelation of the alternating voices, their relative pitch and manner of interpreting the part still exist today. Obrecht (1430-1506) made it the subject of an extended motet. The work of Vittoria (1540-1613) formed for 300 years the repertory of the Sistine Chapel choir for Holy Week. The Reformers discarded the Latin text. Schiltz introduced stringed instruments. The Passion music reached its highest development under Bach (1685-1750) and Joseph Haydn.
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