Oeil Esgare Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus Agnus Dei Mort M'a Prive Caesaris Auspiciis Mort M'a Prive Cur Fernande Pater Le Monde Est Tel Praemia Pro Validis Congratulamini Mihi
On 1 May 1539 Isabella wife of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and undisputed king of much of Europe died in childbirth. Charles’s grief was profound and can be keenly felt even today thanks to his commissions in memory of his beloved wife. For art Charles turned to Titian, the leading painter of the day, requesting a number of posthumous portraits, including the famous La Gloria which depicts the imperial couple worshipping the Trinity and longing for reconciliation after death. Thomas Crecquillon (about whom virtually nothing is known outside the period of his imperial service) was engaged to create a fitting musical legacy. ‘Mort m’a privé’ (‘Death has deprived me’) is an unusually personal text, possibly by the emperor himself, and received two musical settings, one for Charles and one for Isabella. The sublime Mass takes elements from both motets and weaves them into the musical perfection of one-ness for which Charles so yearned. Crecquillon’s versatility as a composer (one could be forgiven for imagining him a somewhat morbid figure Praemia pro validis and Caesaris auspiciis both mark the deaths of imperial generals, while Fernande pater laments the fatal poisoning of a different Isabella, Charles’s neice, the Queen of Poland) is demonstrated by the celebratory Congratulamini mihi (‘Rejoice with me’) that concludes the programme: the Lord is sighted, risen from the tomb, and Charles shall have his Isabella once more. The Brabant Ensemble (taking its name from the area of what is now northern Belgium/southern Holland from which so many great sixteenth-century composers originated) was formed by performing musicologist Stephen Rice in 1998 to explore the neglected repertory of sacred music from 1520 to 1560. Comprising fifteen young professional singers, this is the group’s first recording for Hyperion. A 2004 release of music by Clemens non Papa (on the Signum label) won considerable acclaim, and promises us a genuinely new specialist early music choir.
GRAMOPHONE AWARD NOMINATION - EARLY MUSIC; GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE; CHOC DU MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE, FRANCE
'The performances are excellent; supported by the well-captured acoustic of Merton College, Oxford, the singers negotiate the often highly imitative textures with great fluency. Well-shaped phrasing, good balance and generally subtle dynamic inflexions further contribute to the beauty of the sound … These are really very fine performances of rarely heard music' (International Record Review)
'A gem of a CD' (Gramophone)
'This recording sets an example of how things should be done … a programme that is both intellectually and musically attractive' (Goldberg)
'Le chef et musicologue anglais révele un rare talent de découvreur. Construire un programme autour de Mort m'a privé est une idée merveilleuse' (Diapason)
'A superbly balanced and expressive performance by the Brabant Ensemble shows the work to great advantage' (Early Music Review)
'An unqualified delight' (MusicWeb International)
'Apart from the group's accomplished vocal work, the strong point of this disc is the profound understanding that is conveyed in the notes by Martin Ham. We can expect more of this repertoire from the group. But don't wait to get this one, for it is neatly organized and beautifully sung' (Fanfare, USA)
'Throughout this recording the choir demonstrates the exceeding beauty of Crecquillon’s music. At certain moments it sears the soul so that one can hardly stand to listen to it, like too bright a light makes one want to close [one's] eyes. What could possibly be more fitting for a discussion of death and everlasting life?' (Sacred Music, USA)
Recording details: September 2004; Merton College Chapel, Oxford, United Kingdom; Produced by David Skinner; Engineered by Justin Lowe; Release date: June 2006;
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