The Call of Rome
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CORO CORO Hail, Music from Mother of the Redeemer the Sistine Chapel The Call of Rome “This is state-of-the-art Renaissance singing by “Sixteen, Sistine: a choir and conductor it’s a match made Allegri · Josquin who have done more in heaven.” than most to deepen our awareness, and the times Anerio · Victoria enjoyment, of music.” cor16088 classic fm cor16147 The Earth Resounds Palestrina: Volume 8 “The Gloria opens with “Yet another some truly delicate breathtaking singing, and the clear, example of restricted harmonies choral singing.” evoke a performance of the scotsman monumental majesty from The Sixteen.” cor16097 bbc music magazine cor16175 To find out more about The Sixteen, concert tours, and to buy CDs The Sixteen HARRY CHRISTOPHERS visit www.thesixteen.com cor16178 he power and wealth of the Catholic church in the piece has evolved over the centuries into the version audiences know and love today. TRenaissance times centred on Rome. The papacy was Although born around the same time as Allegri, Anerio died relatively young, but he supreme, and naturally it attracted the greatest composers left us a wealth of splendid double-choir motets. His setting ofRegina caeli laetare and from all over Europe. This album concentrates on that call the Litaniae Beatissimae Virginis Mariae are brilliantly crafted and, at times, break with to Rome which was irresistible for the Flemish composer tradition with just a hint of the Baroque. I think many of you listening will also be surprised Josquin and the Spaniard Victoria. Here they sit alongside by the contrapuntal skills that Allegri displays in the Gloria of his Missa In lectulo meo – Felice Anerio and Gregorio Allegri who spent their lives a far cry from the simplicity of the Miserere. in Rome in the service of the Papal chapels. Borggreve Marco Photograph: This is quite simply glorious music; it is timeless and I have no doubt will enrich all our lives Collectively they span well over a hundred years of just as it did for people centuries ago. musical excellence but whereas the Italians, Anerio and Allegri, very much wrote under the influence of the ‘Prince of Music’ Palestrina, Josquin (many years their predecessor) and Victoria maintained a unique voice in sacred music. They both achieved brilliance through sometimes the most economical ways, be it the imitative duets at the start of Josquin’s Illibata Dei virgo or the stillness of Victoria’s O vos omnes where nothing really happens on the page, yet a searing intensity of emotion is created. The latter is one of the responsories for Tenebrae. Here we concentrate on the set for Holy Saturday; Christ has died and we reflect on his death and the sealing-up of his tomb. Allegri’s Miserere is quite possibly the single most famous piece of sacred music ever written. However, mythology surrounds it and here we shed light on its complicated history. Sadly, nothing survives from Allegri's lifetime, and what we usually hear today is the result of scribal errors and fanciful interpretation. As a result of Ben Byram-Wigfield's Graffito by Josquin in extensive research on the work and by making use of the many sources, we show how Sistine Chapel, Rome. 2 3 1 Plainsong De Lamentatione 3.34 The Call of Rome he call of Rome was heard by many diplomats. In the second half of the Tomás Luis de VICTORIA Tenebrae Responsories for Holy Saturday 1-6 2 Tin the early modern period: pilgrims 16th century there were new seminaries I. Recessit pastor noster 3.21 and clerics, artists and craftsmen, and colleges, as well as hospitals and a 3 II. O vos omnes 3.03 cooks and courtesans – and musicians. burgeoning lay confraternity movement. 4 III. Ecce quomodo moritur iustus 5.17 These last came for various reasons: in Singing and instrumental playing 5 IV. Astiterunt reges 2.06 the early Renaissance period a Rome- accompanied church services, processions, 6 V. Aestimatus sum 2.28 centred bureaucracy controlled church banquets, jousts and other entertainments. 7 VI. Sepulto Domino 3.58 appointments throughout Europe. Singers It is therefore not surprising that musicians – usually clerics – found that a period in flocked to Rome, from Northern Europe 8 JOSQUIN Desprez Pater noster /Ave Maria 6.07 the papal choir, or working for a cardinal, initially, but also from Spain, Germany and helped them obtain such appointments. other Italian states. 9 Felice ANERIO Litaniae Beatissimae Virginis Mariae 6.03 Beyond that, opportunities for employment bl in the expanding city were many. From Josquin Desprez, the best-known JOSQUIN Desprez Gaude virgo mater Christi 2.33 the time of its return from Avignon in the European composer of the early 16th early 15th century, the papacy sought to century, spent five years (1489-94) as a bm Gregorio ALLEGRI Gloria from Missa In lectulo meo 4.47 transform Rome into both the capital of a member of the papal choir which had princely state and the foremost pilgrimage been expanded in the 1470s by Pope Sixtus bn JOSQUIN Desprez Illibata Dei virgo 6.56 centre in Western Christendom. Building IV, who also built the Sistine Chapel for bo Gregorio ALLEGRI Miserere – its evolution 11.34 programmes, aimed at renewing churches, papal liturgies. Like other singers, Josquin palaces and houses, attracted workmen and carved his name on the wall of the chapel’s bp Felice ANERIO Regina caeli laetare a8 2.32 artists; service industries expanded and choir-loft; these graffiti have recently the city was totally refashioned. Musicians come to light as a result of restoration. bq Tomás Luis de VICTORIA Salve Regina a8 8.24 were required by the papal court, by an Although having independent means, he increasing number of churches (including still coveted a church position in his native Total Running Time: 72.45 those of foreign nationalities), by cardinals Condé-sur-l’Escaut (now in Northern and aristocratic families, bankers and France) which his period in Rome helped 4 5 him obtain. Josquin had a strong sense of Josquin’s trademark duets and use of and singers of polyphony. Churches and member of the papal choir, its library holds his own worth, illustrated by his Marian imitation between the voices are very much oratories hosted the Tenebrae offices, an early version of his music for Holy Week, motet Illibata Dei virgo which survives in to the fore in his later Marian motet, Gaude pared-down versions of Matins and Lauds revised for publication in 1585 just before he a papal chapel manuscript. The text of the virgo mater Christi which celebrates the which were dramatised by gradually returned to Spain. His settings of the Holy first part is an acrostic, where the initial joys experienced by Mary. Here the words extinguishing candles and lights, and ended Saturday responsories are among his most letter of each line spells out the name of Luther are well illustrated: “[Josquin] is with the singing of the Miserere (Psalm 51) emotionally-charged music, particularly “Josquin Desprez”. The tenor part has a the master of the notes, which do as he wills; in total darkness. The lessons, taken from O vos omnes, one of his iconic works. recurring three-note motif, solemnised other composers must do as the notes will”. the Lamentations of Jeremiah, were sung as “la-mi-la” (A-E-A), standing for “Ma- Hear how the music matches the words to a special tone, heard at the opening of While in Rome, Victoria helped pioneer the ri-a”. There are 29 repetitions, with one “Christo ascendente” (Christ ascending) this programme. Each was followed by one polychoral style for two or more separate final note added to make a total of 88 in with rising scales, the lively syncopations of a series of responsories telling the story choirs. This expanded the possibilities for the tenor part; this is also the result of at “ubi fructus ventris tui” (where the fruit of Christ’s Passion: those for Holy Saturday textural variety while ensuring that the adding up the number equivalents of the of your womb) and the joyous “Alleluia” describe the repose of his body in the tomb words were clearly heard. His eight-voice letters which make up “Desprez” (a=1, ending. Josquin’s six-voice setting of two while he harrowed Hell (Recessit pastor Salve Regina is a prime example of this b=2 etc., with i and j both=9 and u and v linked well-known prayers, Pater noster noster, Aestimatus sum, Sepulto Domino); early Roman style, favouring long phrases both=20). Josquin has thus embedded his and Ave Maria, is recognised as one of his they also highlight his role as the wronged for individual choirs and reserving the own name with that of the Virgin Mary finest achievements. He clearly thought and suffering Saviour (O vos omnes, Ecce double-choir tutti for particular effects. in a piece which celebrates her various highly of it himself, since he left money quomodo moritur iustus, Astiterunt reges). After four verses for single choir, our attributes. Although an early work, Illibata for the motet to be sung outside his house patience is rewarded when both choirs ring shows the composer’s mastery of musical during processions after his death. Based The Spanish composer Tomás Luis de out gloriously on “Eia ergo”. Here Victoria structure. The first part uses lengthy duets, on a canon between the two tenor parts, Victoria’s call to Rome was initially to exploits to the full his three soprano parts alternating between higher and lower pairs it has a rather sombre character with little study for the priesthood, but he became and an unusually wide three-octave choral of voices, with occasional tuttis; later, the dissonance and lots of hypnotic repetitions.