Palestrina Missa Papae Marcelli
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Giovanni Palestrina
Label: Artium
Magazine Review Date: 3/1986
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: BBC-CD572

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Missa Papae Marcelli |
Giovanni Palestrina, Composer
Gavin Turner, Conductor Giovanni Palestrina, Composer Neil Hunt, Celebrant William Byrd Choir |
Composer or Director: Giovanni Palestrina
Label: Artium
Magazine Review Date: 3/1986
Media Format: Vinyl
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: REGL572

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Missa Papae Marcelli |
Giovanni Palestrina, Composer
Gavin Turner, Conductor Giovanni Palestrina, Composer Neil Hunt, Celebrant William Byrd Choir |
Author: mberry
The overall effect is startlingly convincing: indeed, one is only shaken out of the illusion that it's 'for real' when the Sanctus of Soriano's double-choir arrangement of Palestrina's famous Missa Papae Marcelli leads without a break into the Benedictus—that is, without the customary moment of hush, the sound of the sanctuary bell and the jingle of thurible chains. Had it actually been 'for real' there would probably also have been less perfection of dovetailing between the chant items and the polyphony, with carefully matching tonalities that made the whole performance a thing of great beauty and unity. Some ingenuity was required to tackle the acoustical problems of the polyphonic singers, confined to their little opera-box cantoria. Don't expect perfection here: only a very fair compromise and some glorious authentic echoes mounting up to Michelangelo's ceiling. The chant items were selected, as was fitting, from those dignified but gorgeously corrupt contemporary versions, and are performed quite robustly. Though, if 'authenticity' was really the ultimate aim they could have sounded rougher, more extrovert and with a stronger accentual pull.'
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