This is an excellent compilation
of Christmas music that shows considerable imagination and variety. From the transcendent sound of William Byrd
to the more pungent music of William Mathias by way of an urbane contribution
from Francis Poulenc, this CD offers an
exciting and thoughtful contrast to many run of the mill seasonal offerings.
There are four pieces by William
Byrd. It was once written about this composer that he was a ‘pastoral poet who
loves misty distances, soft hues, gently undulating landscapes…a countryman,
whose rural lyricism decks itself in the most exquisite graces that can be
imagined by an artistic temperament at once simple and refined’ (Van den
Borren). It is this ability to create a vocal tone-poem that impressed me with
these pieces. Not only does the composer communicate the theological and
liturgical message of the texts, he is able to present a musical evocation of
the nativity landscape imagined by poets and painters. However, this landscape
has been translated to England. Truly wonderful and uplifting.
At the other end of the scale is
William Mathias’s ‘Ave Rex- A Carol Sequence’ op.45 which exploits a variety of
harmonic devices old and new. For example, the medieval practice of ‘organum’
parallel movement of voices is contrasted with 20th century bitonality:
the open ‘fourths and fifths’ are juxtaposed with sharp dissonances. The
complex organ part is integral to this work.
‘Ave Rex- A Carol Sequence’ was commissioned by the Cardiff Polyphonic
Choir and was first heard at Llandaff Cathedral on 6 December 1969.
Other works on this CD include the masterly antiphon ‘Mater
Christi sanctissima’ by John Taverner, and an elegant and thoughtful setting by
Palestrina of the Magnificat. John Sheppard’s superb anthem ‘Gaude, Gaude,
Gaude, Maria’ is a complex six-part work probably written during the reign of
Queen Mary.
Finally, I have never come across
the Portuguese composer João Rodrigues Esteves (1700–1751). Seemingly, he was a fairly
prolific composer of liturgical music. After study in Rome he spent the
remainder of his life in Lisbon and latterly became a master of music in the
Basilica de Santa Maria which was an adjunct of Lisbon Cathedral. His music is
well-wrought and colourful. In some places he seems to be moving towards an
operatic style rather than adhering to the then strict requirements of the
Roman Catholic Church. It is hardly surprising that he is deemed to be the
finest (if still largely unknown) Portuguese composer of his generation.
The presentation of this CD has
one or two minor issues. It would have been good to have the texts of these
pieces: as far as I can tell, they are all out of copyright. I accept that the
listener can find these on the internet, but having them to hand is ideal. This is a compilation, which is fine, but
some idea of when each track was ‘laid down’ would have been useful. Finally,
some of these pieces have an organ part, but the organist is not credited.
In the round, this is a most
refreshing contribution to the very large number of Christmas CDs currently
available. The singing is always impressive and the choice of programme inspiring.
Track Listings:-
Williams BYRD (1543-1623) A solis ortus cardine
William MATHIAS (1934-1992)
Ave Rex- A Carol Sequence, op.45 (1969)
John TAVERNER (1490-1545)
Mater Christi sanctissima
William BYRD Hodie
Christus natus est; O magnum Misterium; Puer natus est nobis
John SHEPPARD (c.1515-c.1559)
Gaude, gaude, gaude, Maria
Francis POULENC (1899-1963)
Salve Regina (1941)
Giovanni Pierluigi PALESTRINA
(c.1525-1594) Magnificat (Sexti Toni a 6)
João Rodrigues
ESTEVES (c1700-1751) Beati Dei
Genitrix; Verbum caro factum est
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford/Stephen Darlington
Nimbus Records NI7096
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
No comments:
Post a Comment