The Tallis Scholars
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Thursday, April 4, 2019, 8pm First Congregational Church, Berkeley The Tallis Scholars Peter Phillips, director Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Amy Haworth Caroline Trevor Steven Harrold Rob Macdonald Emma Walshe David Gould Simon Wall Simon Whiteley Charlotte Ashley Emily Atkinson Music Inspired by the Sistine Chapel Giovani Pierluigi da Palestrina Missa Assumpta est Maria (Kyrie) (1525 –1594) Cristóbal de Morales (1500 –1553) Regina caeli Palestrina Missa Ecce ego Johannes (Gloria) Costanzo Festa (1495 –1545) Quam pulchra es Elzea Genet Carpentras (? –1548) Lamentations (bars 1 to 240 and 320 to the end) Palestrina Missa Papae Marcelli (Credo) INTERMISSION Gregorio Allegri (c. 1582–1652) Miserere Palestrina Missa Confitebor tibi domine (Sanctus & Benedictus) Alexander Campkin (b. 1984) Miserere mei Josquin des Prez (c. 1450 –1521) Inter natos mulierum Palestrina Missa Brevis (Agnus Dei) Cal Performances’ 2018 –19 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. 17 PROGRAM NOTES he Sistine Chapel, the heart of the Vati - e patronage of the Papacy was keenly can in Rome, is well-known for having sought by Renaissance musicians. For a time, Tbequeathed a treasure-trove of visual art Spanish composers had an advantage due to a to posterity. With one notable exception, it is succession of Spanish Popes who held them in rather less known for the musical treasures it high esteem. Cristóbal de Morales was one has nurtured for many centuries. In many cases such beneficiary, spending a considerable por - this is due to the jealous guarding of the music tion of his life in the employ of the Capella by a series of Popes, who would not allow cer - Sistina. Regina caeli , a setting of the ancient tain pieces to pass beyond the walls of the hymn to Mary, could well have been first per - chapel. Such is the case, famously, of Gregorio formed there. Allegri’s Miserere , which acquired such a mys - A contemporary of Morales, Costanzo Festa tique through the Sistine Chapel’s monopoly was one of the first Italian polyphonic com - that tracing its journey has become one of the posers to achieve high renown. His sacred most intriguing musical problems of our time. music would be a great influence on Palestrina, Tonight’s program allows us a privileged and his madrigals helped birth a new secular glimpse into the heyday of the Vatican of the tradition. Quam pulchra es , a passage from the high Renaissance. e power and prestige of the Song of Songs set for high voices, displays Festa’s Papacy was at its apex, and before long the gi for easy, flowing polyphony. Council of Trent would spur liturgists and artists Like many others at the time, the composer to the heights of the Counter-Reformation . In Carpentras spent considerable energy securing this spirit, the continuity in this program is patronage for his artistic activity. Having been provided by that most prolific of polyphonists, master of the papal chapel in 1514 for Pope Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Rather than Leo X, he made a swi exit aer Leo was re - choose just one setting of the Ordinary of the placed by the rather less musical Adrian VI, Mass, Peter Phillips has chosen individual only to return aer a new Pope was elected a movements from five different masses, forming year later. Intriguingly—and foreshadowing the a composite that shows the remarkable breadth later corruption of Allegri’s music—he returned and consistency of Palestrina’s style. to the Sistine Chapel to find his music still being Many of the masses are in the so-called missa performed, but in “bastardized versions,” “so parodia or “parody mass” form, meaning their corrupted…that I scarcely recognized them.” music is based on a pre-existing work, usually a He resolved to republish the works—dedicat - motet. Hence the Missa Assumpta est Maria, ing the collection to the new Pope, Clement which draws its material from a six-voice motet VII—which include many settings of the for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Lamen tations of Jeremiah . It is no surprise that e Credo comes from the famous Missa Papae these were hugely popular at the time; passages Marcelli , supposedly written to prove that of sonorous homophony vie in beauty with the sacred music could be both beautiful and intel - austere Hebrew letters, which, following con - ligible, aer officials at the Council of Trent vention, are set to long, flowing melisma: “ritu - considered banning complex polyphony. Cer - alized weeping in music.” tainly the prevalence of syllabic declamation in Of course, no piece of music in the history of this movement suggests a particular concern the Sistine Chapel is more famous than Allegri’s that the words be understood. e mighty Miserere . e Papacy wanted it that way—a se - Sanctus is from a mass based on the double- cret composition of such beauty that it could choir Confitebor Tibi , whilst the Agnus Dei is not be allowed beyond the walls of the Vatican, from the Missa Brevis (a mass that, despite its it magnified their power and status. However, name, is not a great deal shorter than any of the just as Carpentras’ music had been tweaked be - others!). Instead, in the second statement of this yond his recognition, Allegri’s was to suffer the freely composed movement, Palestrina adds a manipulations of every age that followed, leav - further voice to enrich the polyphony. ing the version we have today, which would be Opposite: Photo by Eric Richmond 18 PROGRAM NOTES all but unrecognizable to the composer. A large sung by the off-stage solo group. As these part of this is due to the process of ornamenta - sections alternate, the piece gradually builds tion with which the highly trained Papal singers in intensity with suspension aer suspen - would embellish their parts, leading to the now- sion. e harmony is intensified as the first soprano soars to a high C, hitting the climax obligatory high C. Regardless of its authentic - on the words “Libera me de sanguinibus” ity, this tortuous musical journey has le us (“Deliver me from blood guiltless”). with one of the most beautiful choral pieces of all time. Many a famous composer would leave their About his Miserere Mei, composer A lexander mark—quite literally in this case—in the Sistine Campkin writes: Chapel. e scrawl “JOSQUINJ” on the wall testifies to the composer Josquin’s membership I will always remember hearing Allegri’s of the papal chapel, where he likely composed Miserere for the first time. I was struck by the beauty of the music and the emotions many works. Josquin’s considerable fame dur - that it conveyed. is was a recording of ing and aer his lifetime has led to the misat - the Allegri by the Tallis Scholars, a record - tribution of many of his compositions. e ing that has remained close to my heart ever authorship of the motet Inter natos mulierum since. I was therefore thrilled to be com - is considered doubtful by scholars. All of its missioned by this choir to write a new set - sources are posthumous and the style perhaps ting of the same text. represents a slightly later composer, perhaps e new piece reflects my emotional re - another musician associated with the Vatican. sponse to Allegri’s strikingly moving work. Nevertheless, its rich, full texture is distinctly Like the Allegri, it is scored for double choir. satisfying. Two musical elements are contrasted: that —James M. Potter, 2016 of the main choir and a more lyrical section ABOUT THE ARTISTS The Tallis Scholars were founded in 1973 ular concert in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, by their director, Peter Phillips. Through their including a performance of Thomas Tallis’ recordings and concert performances, they 40-part motet Spem in alium and the world pre - have established themselves as the leading ex - mieres of works written specially for the en - ponents of Renaissance sacred music through - semble by Gabriel Jackson and Eric Whit acre. out the world. Peter Phillips has worked with A recording of John Taverner’s Missa Gloria tibi the ensemble to create, through good tuning Trinitas was released on the exact anniversary and blend, the purity and clarity of sound of the group’s first concert in 1973 and enjoyed he feels best serve the Renaissance repertoire, six weeks at the top of the UK Specialist Clas - allowing every detail of the musical lines to sical Album Chart. On September 21, 2015, the be heard. It is the resulting beauty of sound Tallis Scholars gave their 2,000th concert, at St for which the Tallis Scholars have become so John’s Smith Square in London. widely renowned. Highlights in the 2018 –19 season include per - The Tallis Scholars perform in both sacred formances in Salzburg, Bremen, and Utrecht; and secular venues, usually giving around 70 a special concert at Miller eatre (NY), includ - concerts each year across the globe. In 2013, the ing the world premiere of a new Nico Muhly group celebrated its 40th anniversary with a piece; and tours of Japan and Brazil, in addition world tour, performing 99 events in 80 venues to their usual touring schedule around the USA, in 16 countries and travelling sufficient air- Europe, and the UK. miles to circumnavigate the globe four times. Recordings by the Tallis Scholars have The group kicked off the year with a spectac - earned many awards throughout the world. In 18b PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS 1987, their recording of Josquin’s Missa La sol appeared in more than 2,200 concerts and made fa re mi and Missa Pange lingua received over 60 discs, encouraging interest in polyphony Gramo phone magazine’s Record of the Year all over the world.