Premiered during Holy Week in 1663, by the singers of the Chambre and the Chapelle du Roi, and the orchestra of the Vingt-quatre Violons, Lully’s Miserere was greatly admired in its day and long considered the model for the French "grand motet".

Psalm 50, with its twenty short verses of varied moods, offered Lully the opportunity to prove in the motet genre his talent as a dramatist. At a time when contrapuntal writing still dominated sacred music, the dramatic contrasts introduced by Lully, using all the textural possibilities of the double choir, represented a real novelty in France.

This score can be performed by a variety of vocal and orchestral forces. At the very least, it requires a small choir of 6 soloists (2 dessus, 1 bas-dessus, 1 haute-contre, 1 taille, 1 basse), a large choir of 5 voices (dessus, haute-contre, taille, basse-taille, basse), a string orchestra and a positive organ.
The score and parts for the Miserere are also available.