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Артист: Stile Antico Альбом: Music for Compline, 2007 Издатель: Harmonia Mundi / HMU 907419 Жанр: Classical Формат файла: EAC / APE / CUE / LOG Ссылка: CD Нахождение: Torrent

Music for Compline


Composers:
John Sheppard
Anonymous
William Byrd
Thomas Tallis
Robert White
Hugh Aston


Ensemble:
Stile Antico



This outstanding release comes on the heels of another fine recording whose program just happens to concern the same subject: music for Compline, the last of the daily monastic worship services ("offices") of the Catholic church. While that earlier disc from the Cambridge Singers should not be missed by any lover of English Renaissance choral music, this new one not only contains substantially different repertoire, but most importantly features absolutely ravishing performances by Stile Antico, one of Britain's newest ensembles and certainly among the most promising vocal groups to come along in the last 20 years. These well-matched and perfectly tuned young voices are a joy to hear, and their singing style conveys a level of excitement in the rhythms and vibrancy in the harmonies that's unusual to hear and rare to experience on a recording.
The repertoire includes some of the finest polyphonic works of the 16th century, such as Sheppard's settings of Libera nos, In manus tuas, and In pace, Byrd's Miserere mihi, Domine, Tallis' own In pace and sublimely beautiful Miserere nostri. The nature of the Compline service calls for music and texts suitable for the hour before sleep, and each of the represented composers was a master of word setting and mood, perfectly capturing the essence of texts such as "Restore our bodies worn with toil/With the peace of the night", or "Preserve us, Lord, as we keep our watch, and guard us as we sleep", or "It is into your hands, Lord, that I entrust my spirit", and placing them in an appropriate context for prayer and thanksgiving.
And these singers certainly know the essence and context of each of these 17 works, showing an impressive ensemble technique and sensitivity, whether to ensuring textural clarity in the dense, slow-moving Miserere of Tallis or attending to the details of phrasing and unison singing in the brief chant passages. The program selection and ordering also shows considerable thought and good musical sense. The sound is exemplary--warm yet vibrant, focused, and presented from an ideal listening perspective. This is an extraordinary recording: In its debut on Harmonia Mundi Stile Antico has given choral music lovers everywhere a reason to celebrate what looks like the beginning of another beautiful relationship!
This gorgeous release by the young English unaccompanied vocal group Stile Antico would be worth your time and money simply for the quiet, perfectly intoned singing on display here. But the album accomplishes more than vocal virtuosity. Stile Antico presents music by three generations of English choral composers, all of it from the Catholic sphere and all of it written for the late-evening Compline services of the liturgical day. That programming decision results in a collection of music that wouldn't have been heard in the sixteenth century (the older music of Sheppard probably wouldn't have lasted until the century's end) but that does make sense to the modern listener trying to learn to hear this music with Renaissance ears. The reason is that the program is ideally structured to lead the listener from Sheppard (and his contemporary Hugh Aston) to Thomas Tallis and his musical heir, William Byrd. The disc opens with a two-section "Libera nos" by Sheppard, rich and dense. It moves on to one of Byrd's sparsest compositions, the hymn "Christe, qui lux es et dies," which ironically seems to have been influenced by the severe homophony of Anglican service music. Sheppard is generously represented, and this disc is strongly recommended to anyone who has been intrigued with his music but has felt overwhelmed by an entire disc's worth of it - it seems to give the modern listener little to hang on to, but when placed in contrast with the more ordered works of Tallis and Byrd it seems luxuriant. The program is tied together as well by the Compline themes, which lend the entire album a meditative cast that will appeal to casual listeners as strongly as it will to closely attentive ones. This is superb choral singing that stands out from the crowd of recordings of unaccompanied English music of the sixteenth century.


Tracklist:

01. Libera nos I & II - John Sheppard
02. Salva nos, Domine - Plain-chant
03. Christe, qui lux es et dies - William Byrd
04. In pace in idipsum - John Sheppard
05. In manus tuas - Thomas Tallis
06. Jesu, salvator saeculi, verbum - John Sheppard
07. In manus tuas I - John Sheppard
08. In manus tuas II & III - John Sheppard
09. Miserere mihi, Domine - Plain-chant
10. Miserere nostri, Domine - Thomas Tallis
11. Miserere mihi, Domine - William Byrd
12. In pace in idipsum - Thomas Tallis
13. Christe, qui lux es et dies - Robert White
14. Veni, Domine - Plain-chant
15. Nunc dimittis - William Byrd
16. Te lucis ante terminum - Thomas Tallis
17. Gaude, virgo mater Christi - Hugh Aston


MORE INFO:
harmoniamundi.com
allmusic.com
barnesandnoble.com
cduniverse.com
arkivmusic.com

This post has been edited by kgkk on 31-08-2007, 20:32