(The) Byrd Edition - Early Latin Church Music
The Cardinall’s Music reach a milestone in their epic Byrd project with the Gradualia, but are they showing signs of hasty preparation?
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: William Byrd, Philippus de Monte
Label: Gaudeamus
Magazine Review Date: 13/1999
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 71
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CDGAU179
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Domine ante te omne desiderium |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Circumspice Jerusalem |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Te lucis ante terminum |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Petrus beatus |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Christe qui lux es |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Reges Tharsis et insulae |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Domine Deus omnipotens |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Sacris solemniis |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Benigne fac Domine |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Quomodo cantabimus? |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Super flumina Babylonis |
Philippus de Monte, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor Philippus de Monte, Composer |
| Gradualia, Vol 2: Nativity of our Lord Jesus Chris, Movement: Regis Tharsis et insulae |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Gradualia, Vol 2: Nativity of our Lord Jesus Chris, Movement: Introit: Ecce advenit dominator Dominus |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Gradualia, Vol 2: Nativity of our Lord Jesus Chris, Movement: Gradual: Surge illuminare Jerusalem |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
| Gradualia, Vol 2: Nativity of our Lord Jesus Chris, Movement: Communion: Vidimus stellam ejus in Oriente |
William Byrd, Composer
(The) Cardinall's Musick Andrew Carwood, Conductor William Byrd, Composer |
Author: David Fallows
Ending the first leg of their grand project to record all of Byrd’s music, The Cardinall’s Musick present the remaining unprinted (and mostly presumably early) motets. As on the earlier discs, they have also included one of the Proper cycles from his much later Gradualia, here the slightly odd Epiphany cycle, which they sing with a certain hurried embarrassment. But to conclude the disc they correctly give us both Philippus de Monte’s eight-voice Super flumina Babylonis, which he sent to Byrd in 1583, and Byrd’s astonishing response of 1584 with its triple canon, Quomodo cantabimus? - an imposingly impressive way to end any disc, even if Byrd seems to be trying almost too hard to emulate his famous Belgian colleague.
Most of the music is done with solo voices, which may be more appropriate for Byrd’s latest recusant music (like Gradualia) than for the grand early pieces composed when the Latin rite was still permitted in England. But presumably the point here was to allow transparency in the thick textures for five, six and eight voices.
The best performances here are in the six-voice Domine ante te and the five-voice Domine Deus omnipotens. Here there is the lightness of touch, the flexibility of metre and the clear feel for changing textures that can seem so important in Byrd. Elsewhere the singing is more variable in confidence, the direction is more unyielding and the rhythmic style tends occasionally to be soggy. Perhaps it was just that some of this music was unfamiliar or underprepared. But the point needs watching if The Cardinall’s Musick are to continue through Byrd’s entire works. He is one of the greatest composers and deserves only the very finest musicianship.'
Most of the music is done with solo voices, which may be more appropriate for Byrd’s latest recusant music (like Gradualia) than for the grand early pieces composed when the Latin rite was still permitted in England. But presumably the point here was to allow transparency in the thick textures for five, six and eight voices.
The best performances here are in the six-voice Domine ante te and the five-voice Domine Deus omnipotens. Here there is the lightness of touch, the flexibility of metre and the clear feel for changing textures that can seem so important in Byrd. Elsewhere the singing is more variable in confidence, the direction is more unyielding and the rhythmic style tends occasionally to be soggy. Perhaps it was just that some of this music was unfamiliar or underprepared. But the point needs watching if The Cardinall’s Musick are to continue through Byrd’s entire works. He is one of the greatest composers and deserves only the very finest musicianship.'
(The) Byrd Edition - Early Latin Church Music
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