Beatus

Beatus, meaning blessed in Medieval Latin, may mean:

• a term in the Catholic Church for a person (Beata if female) who has been beatified, the stage before being declared a saint.

• A copy of the Commentary on the Apocalypse, (i.e. Book of Revelation), especially in illuminated manuscript form, written by Saint Beatus of Liébana (below), is often just referred to as a Beatus. Many famous versions exist, especially in the Mozarabic style, such as the Morgan Beatus.

• A "beatus initial" is the B of "Beatus vir..." ("Blessed is the man..."), the start of Psalm 1. This was usually given the most elaborate decoration in an illuminated psalter, often taking a whole page for the B or first two words.

• Beatus vir (from Psalm 112) is the title of many compositions including :
  • Beatus vir (1641) by Monteverdi,
  • Beatus vir, ZWV 75, 76, et 77, by Jan Dismas Zelenka,
  • Beatus vir, RV597 et RV598, by Vivaldi,
  • Beatus vir, MH 410, MH 398, by Michael Haydn,
  • Beatus vir, opus 38 (1979), by Górecki,

Many other composers have written Beatus virs, including Mozart, Pergolesi, Johann David Heinichen.