Tag: Renaissance

La Morra, Corina Marti & Michael Gondko
64:54
Glossa GCD922515

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he rediscovery of an entirely obscure 15th-century composer of the greatest merit is a rare event, but this is undoubtedly what eastern European musicology has achieved in the unearthing of the music of the Pomeranian composer Petrus Wilhelm de Grudenz. A contemporary of Du Fay and associated now with some forty composition, on the evidence of the music recorded here, Grudenz’s is a talent to be reckoned with and one which in the fullness of time may prove to deserve the same elevated status as the likes of Du Fay, Binchois and Ockeghem. Belonging very much to the mainstream of 15th-century polyphony, Grudenz seems nonetheless to demonstrate certain individual compositional traits such as a penchant for catchy syncopations and occasionally unconventional harmonic progressions which may be an individual or a regional inflexion.

In bringing us a cross-section of Grudenz’s music, La Morra, working under the auspices of the Schola Cantrum Basiliensis, have set it in a context of other eastern European music of the period by other unknowns such as Nicolaus de Radom and Othmarus Opilionis de Jawor, while at the same time pointing out that the Eastern European convention at this time of encrypting the composer’s name or leaving it out altogether means that the anonymous works on the CD may also be by Grudenz, or may conceal further composers of considerable merit. The performances by the voices and instruments of La Morra are elegantly understated but beautifully poised, allowing this wonderfully crafted music to speak for itself. As Howard Weiner’s excellent programme note points out, perhaps the true value of this unexpected discovery is to challenge our perception of musical development as relying on ‘centres of excellence’ with diminishing peripheries, as opposed to a model encompassing a widely disseminated language with local inflexions and local practitioners with something valuable to add.

D. James Ross

The Chansonnier Cordiforme
Ensemble Leones, Marc Lewon
70:20
Naxos 8.573325

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith its neatly punning title this collection of songs from the exquisite heart-shaped Chansonnier Cordiforme  provides a fine cross-section of the 43 songs in the original plus a couple of decorated versions by Tinctoris from out with the book. Notwithstanding its elegant appearance, the Chansonnier  is a surprisingly sloppy piece of work, with frequent errors in the Italian texts of several songs, but it is a valuable source of some very fine polyphonic songs by Dufay, van Ghizeghem, Binchois and Ockeghem, although the bulk of the songs recorded here are anonymous. The performers sensibly take a pragmatic approach to the heated debate as to precisely how these pieces were performed and use a mixture of voices and instruments, with occasional a cappella renditions. I have some slight reservations about the top female alto voice of Els Janssens-Vanmunster which has a generally fine opaque quality which suits this music, but which has a weak area lower down where it can be a little shaky. With this one tiny reservation I have to say that I loved these accounts, which are both musically expressive and eloquent in an unhurried way. Although the Chansonnier  was probably employed in a acoustically dead domestic setting, the acoustic of the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, Binningen provides just the right resonance for full enjoyment of this lovely music.

D. James Ross

La Compagnia del Madrigale
63:31
Glossa GCD922806

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is interesting to compare this CD of five-part madrigals by Gesualdo sung by an Italian ensemble with the English Marian Consort’s account of Gesualdo’s five-part sacred music. Both ensembles sing one to a part and enjoy an impressive perfection of balance, ensemble and intonation. The Italian sound however is much more ‘fronty’ and brash, particularly noticeable in the tenor and soprano singing, and the individual voices much more prominent in the overall texture. Perhaps this is particularly the case as the Italians are singing secular music and the English sacred music, but the slightly edgy almost reedy sound would I think be equally effective in Gesualdo’s church music. One feature which I hadn’t noticed hitherto in the Compagnia del Madrigale’s performances, is a slight tendency to wobble in the soprano part when there is a dramatic decrescendo, almost as if the vocal production is stalling. This is a shame, and if – as I suspect – it is an affectation, I don’t like it. I am sure that singing in their native language gives the Compagnia del Madrigale an edge with this highly expressive repertoire, and of all the many ensembles recording Italian madrigals at the moment they are undoubtedly one of the most exciting.

D. James Ross

The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery
60:55
Delphian DCD34176

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom Emma Walsh’s exquisite opening phrase to Ave Regina caelorum  which seems to descend from heaven itself this CD is an absolute delight and a masterclass in one-to-a-part singing. Gesualdo’s Sacrae Cantiones  for five voices book 1 of 1603 contains some of his most sublime compositions, quirky and original in style but without the tortured harmonic progressions and off-the-wall phrases of some of his other compositions. The effortlessly polished singing of the Marian Consort makes them the ideal advocates of this repertoire, and their perfectly contoured and beautifully balanced ensemble sound is captured in crystal-clear quality by the Delphian engineers. Anybody who is in doubt about Gesualdo’s skill as a composer will be persuaded by these understated but perfect accounts, and at the same time will be impressed by the passion which the singers manage to invest in their performances without resorting to rawness or roughness of any kind. A complete delight.

D. James Ross

Music from The Eton Choirbook Vol. 4
The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Stephen Darlington
68:42
Avie AV 2359
John Browne Salve regina I & II
Horwood Gaude flore virginali
Stratford Magnificat

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he fourth volume in the Avie’s superb exploration of the Eton Choirbook brings us two superb Salve Reginas by John Browne, the Magnificat  by William, Monk of Stratford and William Horwood’s Gaude flore virginali. Again and again I was stuck by Stephen Darlington’s affinity with this music: his instinctive choice of effective tempi, his effortless transitions from section to section and his masterly overview of these largescale works. Impressive too, as in the previous volumes, is the ability of his singers to transition effortlessly from tutti to solo singers and back again. A cathedral choir is an entity which like a vintage wine changes flavour over time,  and one factor in this is the unpredictable boy treble section. Some listeners to Browne’s first Salve Regina  may feel that the solo and tutti boy treble sound is not quite as sweet as on the choir’s previous recordings in the series, but to my mind this is just an aspect of the natural evolution of any choir’s sound. The more familiar of the two Browne Salve reginas is for the standard five-part ‘Eton’ choir and the Oxford choristers rise well to its challenges. The other setting, remarkably receiving its premiere recording here,  is set for TTTBarB and also proves to be a stunning masterpiece, muscular and dynamic. The Monk of Stratford’s Magnificat  is also for adult male voices, and it too allows the remarkable lower voices of the choir to shine. William Horwood’s SATTB setting of Gaude flore virginali, also receiving its premiere recording, proves to be a work of profound inspiration and invention. To my ear the treble contribution here sounds more mellow too. It is remarkable to think that music of such superlative quality is still being rediscovered, and full congratulations are due to Avie and to Stephen Darlington and his choir for their ongoing project.

D. James Ross