GREGORIAN CHANT FOR MEDITATION

Classical Music

Classical Music

“Full throated, full bodied, full of joy, these singers breathe passionate life into a rare and rarefied repertory. You’ll be willingly transported to their magical island. Bravo.” —Susan Hellauer (Anonymous 4) The Crusades brought to Cyprus French kings, whose imported musical traditions flourished alongside those of their Greek subjects. The vibrancy of their Mediterranean soundscape is captured in this recording, which traverses the diverse range of sacred music heard during the fifteenth century in Nicosia’s Orthodox and Catholic cathedrals: Greek and Latin hymns celebrating the divine patronage of St. Hilarion of Gaza, lavish prayers for French royalty set to Ars Nova polyphony from the codex Torino J.II.9, and virtuosic Byzantine chants by Constantinopolitan and Cypriot composers. Vocal ensemble Cappella Romana combines passion with scholarship in its exploration of early and contemporary music of the Christian East and West. Its name refers to the medieval Greek concept of the Roman oikoumene (inhabited world), which embraced Rome and Western Europe as well as the Byzantine Empire of Constantinople (“New Rome”) and its Slavic commonwealth.

Monteverdi: Madrigals, Book 4

The cathedral of Tournai in Belgium is one of the most impressive and significant in Europe and has been designated by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. Music history was written here: the cathedral library contains the manuscript of a polyphonic mass ordinary compiled around the year 1300 which unites movements by various composers and written in different styles. This makes it the direct predecessor of the first masses written by single composers, such as the Messe de Nostre Dame by Guillaume de Machaut.

René Clemencic, the great music researcher and interpreter of medieval music, performs the Messe de Tournai along with additional one-voice and polyphonic pieces from the Spanish Codex Musical de las Huelgas. The musicians of the Clemencic Consort bring to life a musical epoch which still fascinates us today with its wealth of stylistic variety and delightful discoveries.

LA MESSE DE TOURNAI
CODEX MUSICAL DE LAS HUELGAS

This recording reconstructs an office of the mass from the first half of the 14th century. Its primary focus is on that polyphonic mass ordinary from circa 1300 preserved in a manuscript in the cathedral of Tournai in Belgium. The copyist retained by the cathedral seven centuries ago took pieces by various composers, even from different epochs and styles, and included them in one manuscript, a procedure which seems to correspond to the slowly developing consciousness for the necessity of a complete polyphonic mass ordinary. This tendency didn’t prevail, however, until the first half of the 15th century. At the end of the 14th century, one composer, Guillaume de Machault, seems to have aspired to such compositional unity, but his successors did not continue consequently in this vein.

Stylistically, the Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus of the Mass of Tournai appear to have been written at the end of the 13th century, as they use the modal rhythms typical for that time. The syllabic Credo is very reminiscent of conductus. The freely moving Gloria uses some principles of the motet without really being one. Its Amen includes hocket, the “hiccup” technique which splits up melodic lines among various voices. The three-voice Ite missa est is a bilingual motet; a late Medieval amalgamation of contradictions, a union of the heterogeneous, acoustic synchronicity of completely different worlds. The triplum, or top voice, sings a French love song, the motetus, or middle voice, sings a moralizing Latin text, and the tenor cites a fragment of a Gregorian melody using the isorhythmic technique, in which a rhythmic model is repeated once (as here) or sometimes a number of times.

In addition to the polyphonic mass ordinary, we also bring one-voice Gregorian melodies of the mass proper to life as well as a series of oneor more-voice sacred works, performing them both vocally and instrumentally as they were once played in ceremonial worship services.

With the exception of the motet by Philippe de Vitry, all pieces come from the Codex Musical de las Huelgas. Compiled around 1300 in Spain, this collection is an important source of European polyphonic music from the beginning of the 14th century.

The manuscript contains a number of compositions from the Notre Dame school and its successors. In addition to three-part organum and conductus, we also find here two- and three-voice motets, one- and two-voice prose settings as well as sequence-like pieces with melodic repetitions of various lines.

-- René Clemencic (Translation: Elizabeth Gahbler)

Carissimi: 10 Motets

Classical Music

Classical Music

Missa Papae Marcelli, or Pope Marcellus Mass, is a mass by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. It is his most well-known and most often-performed mass, and is frequently taught in university courses on music. It was always[citation needed] sung at the Papal Coronation Mass (the last being the coronation of Paul VI in 1963). The Missa Papae Marcelli consists, like most Renaissance masses, of a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus/Benedictus, and Agnus Dei, though the third part of the Agnus Dei is a separate movement (designated "Agnus II").The mass is freely composed, not based upon a cantus firmus or parody. Perhaps because of this, the mass is not as thematically consistent as Palestrina's masses based on models. It is primarily a six-voice mass, but voice combinations are varied throughout the piece; Palestrina scores Agnus II for seven voices, and the use of the full forces is reserved for specific climactic portions in the text. It is set primarily in a homorhythmic, declamatory style, with little overlapping of text and a general preference for block chords such that the text can clearly be heard in performance, unlike many polyphonic masses of the 16th century. As in much of Palestrina's contrapuntal work, voices move primarily in stepwise motion, and the voice leading strictly follows the rules of the diatonic modes codified by theorist Gioseffo Zarlino.

Steffen Schleiermacher has often fascinated his public with works by Morton Feldman. Along with Christian Giger, the solo cellist in the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, he is now presenting Patterns in a Chromatic Field - an extensive composition showing us the minimalist master's more entertaining side. Here, highly virtuosic passages alternate with petrified soundscapes; now the instruments seem to melt, now their contrasting nature becomes the point of reference. While avoiding any sort of developmental idea, a tonal process of great suggestive power is produced over the course of some eighty minutes. -- MD&G

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REVIEW:

This is very satisfying and musically highly refined. There is a balance to be struck between enigmatic modernity and romantic affection for an abstract tradition which is in line with both Mark Rothko’s New York and Beethoven’s Vienna, and this is beautifully struck by these musicians. If you are a Feldman fan then this will be a very satisfying addition to your collection. Feldman newbies might find an 80 minute duo for cello and piano on a single CD track more than a little daunting, but, as with his other extended works, if you allow the piece its own space and inhabit it as you would an art gallery, then you will gradually sense your cells and synapses aligning themselves to something rather special.

– MusicWeb International

(SACD-HYBRID) Fredrik Malmberg, conductor and artistic director of the ensemble, is one of the most sought-after of choral conductors in Sweden today. Harmony of Voices was formed in the autumn of 2003 and rapidly established itself as one of the most exciting vocal ensembles in Sweden. The repertoire of this album is concentrated on Early Music and the ensemble's capacity to combine historical authenticity with creative interpretation has won it considerable renown. This disc is an ideal demonstration of the superior clarity, detail and coherence of the SACD Medium.

PALESTRINA: Missa de Beata Virgine

various Ensemble Torculus; Ronald Greene, cantor; Haig Mardirosian, cond. Mors et Ressurectio

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Coming of Christ-A Celebration of Faith in His Name - The Coming of Christ is sung by the Gloriae Dei Cantores Schola and conducted by Dr. Mary Berry, CBE, reknowned experts who bring a wealth of experience to the interpretation of Gregorian chant. Well-known pieces alternate with numerous antiphons to bring us closer to the time of Christ's birth and early childhood. The prophetic announcements, the longing and anticipation of Christ's birth as well as the joy of the angels' message are all vividly portrayed in the Gregorian chant.

EL SARAO DE LA CHACONNA

Choral Music (Russian) - DOUBENSKY, F. / RACHMANINOV, S. / L

Cherubini: Missa Solemnis

A Concert Of Early Music

CANTUS ANGELICUS: Gregorian Chants

To the casual listener, Carmina Burana is a big splashy choral and orchestral work that has made it into more B action films that can be counted. Carl Orff’s decided masterwork has been sadly relegated to Hollywood status, and poorly imitated by countless hack film scorers. Herr Orff got his texts, however, from a manuscript of songs and poems, probably compiled around 1230, and written down by at least three different scribes in monasteries either in Styria or Carinthia. In 1803, the manuscript was taken from its home at the Abbey of Benediktbeuren to Munich, where in 1847 it was edited and published under its now famous title.

Although there is some musical notation in the original manuscript, it is in the form of heightened neumes, vague indications of pitch and melodic flow, and as such, it is impossible to determine the exact tunes to which these poems, which are often rather bawdy in nature, were sung. Since, however, it was the common practice of Medieval musicians to adapt a single tune to fit any number of texts, (a practice known as contrafactum) these works can rather easily and with a fair sense of authenticity be brought to life. This is achieved through the more clearly notated melodies left behind by, among others, the St. Martial composers active in Limoges during the period, and of those who were working at Notre Dame.

The end result is a collection of magnificent music, lively and rhythmic, tuneful and engaging with some of the most wonderful poetry ever penned for its texts. The two exemplary ensembles heard in this recording are breathtakingly flawless. They completely and utterly revel in this spirited repertoire and exhibit sheer joy in bringing it to life.

Of particular note here, (although there is absolutely nothing negative to say about the work of any of these musicians) are our two solo singers, countertenor Bernhard Landauer, and tenor Eric Mentzel. Mr. Landauer is absolutely the very finest countertenor I have ever heard. His voice is perfectly seamless; every note of his range from lowest to highest is of the ideal weight and timbre. His flawless rendition of Axe Phebus aureo,is a tour de force of musical story telling, delightful in its contrasts and scene painting. Mr. Mentzel also acquits himself marvelously in his several duets with Landauer. It is a bit of a shame that he gets no solos here, as his is a lovely and mellifluous instrument, which blends perfectly with his singing partner’s.

All of the tunes in this performance are infectious due in large part to their lilting rhythms. One would be hard pressed however to leave the room whistling them simply because they are such uncommon and unusual fare. One outstanding work however, Katharina collaudemus will instantly bring to mind the plainchant hymn Pange lingua for those who are familiar with the Roman and Anglican music traditions.

Lest I forget the instrumentalists, who on the whole all double as choristers where needed, let me be quick to point out their notable virtuosity and magnificent abilities at improvisation. Everything is played with a life and energy that left me dancing around the room by disc’s end.

Sound quality is exquisite; Keith Anderson has translated a set of notes program notes by Michael Posch that are concise, informative and relevant. A complete winner, this! Recommended without a moment’s hesitation.

-- Kevin Sutton, MusicWeb International