Scattered Ashes - inspired by the meditations of the infamous Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola.

Scattered Ashes - inspired by the meditations of the infamous Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola. cover $40.00 Low Stock add to cart

BYRD / CLEMENS / DESPRES / PALESTRINA / LASSO / etc
Scattered Ashes - inspired by the meditations of the infamous Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola.
Magnificat, Philip Cave

[ Linn / 2 CD ]

Release Date: Friday 19 February 2016

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Magnificat's 25th anniversary recording, Scattered Ashes, features contrasting and parallel works of great passion inspired by the meditations of the infamous Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola.

These Latin settings by eight great vocal composers of the 16th century display a variety of scoring, textures and harmonic language that is mirrored in their intensity and attention to detail.

Josquin's Miserere, referred to as 'epic', 'massive', 'courageous' and 'bold' with similarities in stature and significance frequently drawn between the music of Josquin and Beethoven, opens the programme.

Josquin's musical architecture, and his sensitivity to the text, combine to produce a work of astonishing delicacy, with kaleidoscopic twists and turns, rich and subtle use of texture and variety exploiting and illustrating the text with a heartfelt empathy.

Both challenging and thrilling to sing, Josquin's Miserere perfectly demonstrates why Magnificat's world-class reputation for clarity, flawless intonation and purity of tone is second to none.

"This choice selection ranges from Josquin's epic Miserere mei, Deus to Byrd's Infelix ergo, every work a model of emotionally moving expressive intensity. The singers exquisitely shape and blend each one." (Sunday Times)

"the pure, unadorned quality of the singing and the range of music make this essential listening." (Observer)

"In Lheritier's In te Domine, Domine speravi, Magnificat's velvety sound is at its most luxurious. This sonorous ensemble, combined with Cave's unhurried tempi, create a wonderfully melancholic sound world. Their interpretations of the post-Josquin generation of continental composers, Gombert and Clemens specifically, are among the finest on disc." (Gramophone Award Nomination 2016 - Early Music)

"Hearing Josquin's five-part, 17-minute-plus setting of Psalm 50, it's easy to understand Cave's choice of this piece as an anchor and inspiration for the selection of other works on the program. It's also easy to hear how the kind of musical standard Josquin set-in his particular attention to text, its clarity, and its specific musical treatment; to the organization of musical structure both in use of voices and in the larger context of contrapuntal and alternating homophonic sections-would demand much from his contemporaries and followers. Highly recommended." 10/10 ClasicsToday

"The music on these two discs ranges from austere to luxuriant, urgent to serene. Magnificat's director Philip Cave shapes poised, subtly expressive and finely balanced readings from the vocal ensemble he founded a quarter of a century ago. His measured tempos reflect the predominantly contemplative tone of these works, and the sable hues and unwavering timbres of his singers are aptly evocative of Savonarolan sobriety" Five Stars BBC Music

Tracks:

Byrd:
Infelix ego

Clemens:
Tristitia obsedit me - Infelix ego

Despres:
Miserere mei, Deus

Gombert:
In te Domine speravi

Jeune:
Tristitia obsedit me

Lasso:
Infelix ego

Lhéritier:
Miserere mei, Domine

Palestrina:
Tribularer si nescirem

Preview 'Scattered Ashes' here