The name Magnificat comes from the first word in the Latin translation of the Song of Mary in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:46-55). The song was Mary’s response to Elizabeth after she exclaimed that her unborn son John leaped in the womb when he heard Mary’s voice. It is a beautiful poem of humility, faith, and redemption in anticipation of the arrival of her son Jesus, the Savior of the world. Bach originally wrote his Magnificat for a Christmas service, then later changed it for year-round playing. We’ve provided the traditional translation from the Latin Vulgate after the older Latin text below.
This piece of classical music goes along well with our new half credit class The Story of Great Music | History and Appreciation. If you are looking for an easy, fun, and unique class for your students needing another half credit, this is a fantastic option. This course was designed to encourage music appreciation in students without any prior musical training while providing a robust historical guide for music students wanting to connect the dots between periods, composers, instruments, and performance styles.
If you want to purchase the CD, I would recommend the John Eliot Gardiner version.
Latin (older form):
Magnificat: anima mea Dominum.
Et exultavit spiritus meus: in Deo salutari meo.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae:
ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.
Quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est:
et sanctum nomen eius.
Et misericordia eius, a progenie et progenies:
timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo:
dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede:
et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis:
et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum:
recordatus misericordiae suae.
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros:
Abraham, et semini eius in saecula.
English:
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;
for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty,
hath done great things to me;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations,
to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
