A Feast of Choral Music from The Temple

[jean]

Very disappointed so far - the Josquin too slow and ponderous, though my particular memory of the ending may contain some ficta which is unjustified - I'm not scholar enough to know.

I am finding the top lines strangulated and the tuning of top notes sometimes not good. I have heard them live in their Dialogues of Sorrow programme, and they were much better than this.

And all that applause! It can be avoided- you just say, as they did on Tuesday, this is a sequence, please don't applaud until it's over.

[DracoM]

Absolutely agree about applause. Utterly out of place.
I quite liked the balance, but in places I wondered if the singers were entirely au courant with the whole sequence - a bit tentative, maybe? Just an idle thought.

[jean]

That alto really struggled with this top notes. S M-P said after the Tallis Gloria that he was 'standing in' for David Allsop - odd that, as I thought they both sang with this group. Maybe he doesn't usually sing the top part? Certainly I did not think he and Clare Wilkinson (who is a fine consort singer) were well matched in the de Rore, where there are two cantus parts.

[Chris Watson]

Clare was standing in for David.

[jean]

I see. So S M-P was wrong and it should have been two altos doing the cantus parts in the de Rore? Thast would probably have balanced better.

[Chris Watson]

Can't tell you any more I'm afraid as I was unable to do this project!

[DracoM]

Chris

Will that mean you won't be on the recording either?

[Miles Coverdale]

I see. So S M-P was wrong and it should have been two altos doing the cantus parts in the de Rore? Thast would probably have balanced better.

No, she quite clearly stated that Clare Wilkinson was standing in for David Allsop.

[jean]

Yes, I see that now. S M-P left a long gap between Clare Wilkinson and alto, and as I don't usually think of CW as an alto, I misunderstood. Especially as I have seen her singing with them.

[Chris Watson]

Chris

Will that mean you won't be on the recording either?

I'll be there for the recording, but was sadly not free for the concert!

[DracoM]

When is it out?

[Simon Biazeck]

Very disappointed so far - the Josquin too slow and ponderous, though my particular memory of the ending may contain some ficta which is unjustified - I'm not scholar enough to know.[/I]

Their take on performers' accidentals (strictly speaking, not music ficta) in Praeter rerum seriem is quite a long way from my own, but I do think the end is correct without raised thirds, if that is what you are referring to there. The final raised third is not part of the language of this period, although one often sees mid to late 16th c. editions of these earlier works (although not of this motet) which seem to give credence to their authenticity. This is in fact the work of editors seeking to keep up with current fashions. I have even seen a number of editions which rewrite the counterpoint to accommodate a tierce. Publishers also enlisted what one might call 'harmony police' to spot mi contra fa, so-called 'false fifths', arguably an integral part of the music of this period.

My ongoing research in this field centers on Nicolas Gombert and his contemporaries and of course Josquin Desprez, who was so influential, as this concert showed. Briefly, there is a species of dissonant leading note in the music of Josquin and the following generation which is often avoided in our time (we heard a few here) despite clearly notated parallels in the organ music of the day; most notably Hans Buchner and also much later in the 17th c. Francisco Correa de Arauxo's works. In a preface to one of his editions Arauxo goes to great lengths to justify his musical language with reference to both Josquin and Gombert.

I enjoyed Gallicantus' sound in this motet - very expressive - and whilst it is undeniable that dynamic chiaroscuro is not part of the music of this time, it certainly makes for a more communicative performance to our ears, although it was a little slow for my taste.

[jean]

Thanks - very interesting.

[Chris Watson]

When is it out?

That kind of information is above my pay grade I'm afraid!

[ardcarp]

and whilst it is undeniable that dynamic chiaroscuro is not part of the music of this time,

How do you know that, Simon?