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a r t i s t : Nicolas Gombert
t i t l e : Missa Media Vita In Morte Sumus
d a t e : 2006
l a b e l : ECM New Series 1884
g e n r e : Classical
r l s. d a t e : Feb/2006
t r a c k s : 11
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 106,10 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
The Hilliard Ensemble
Nicolas Gombert
Missa Media Vita In Morte Sumus
David James countertenor
Rogers Covey-Crump tenor
Steven Harrold tenor
Andreas Hirtreiter tenor
Gordon Jones baritone
Robert Macdonald bass
Media vita in morte sumus
Kyrie (from Missa Media Vita)
Gloria (from Missa Media Vita)
Salve Regina
Anima Mea
Credo (from Missa Media Vita)
O crux, splenidor cunctis
Sanctus (from Missa Media Vita)
Quam pulchra es
Agnus Dei (from Missa Media Vita)
Musae lovis
Recorded May 2002
ECM New Series 1884
The Hilliard Ensemble's interpretation of motets by Guillaume
de Machaut released on ECM New Series in 2004 was hailed by the
international press as an outstanding artistic achievement:
'This is a landmark recording and a courageous venture', wrote
David Fallows in Gramophone. The disc won several awards and in
2005 it was nominated for a Grammy. By highlighting Nicolas
Gombert the ensemble - which for this repertoire is augmented
by Andreas Hirtreiter and Robert Macdonald - continues its
explorations of medieval and renaissance polyphony which have
lead to unanimously acclaimed ECM-recordings of major works by
Perotin, Tallis, Orlando di Lasso, Gesualdo and a selection of
pieces by Palestrina and Victoria.
Biographical details on Nicolas Gombert are scant. Born shortly
before 1500, probably in southern Flanders, there is some
evidence that he was a pupil of Josquin Desprez. Starting in
1526, as a member of the chapel choir of Charles V of Spain, he
travelled the Empire extensively. Scholars believe he served as
an unofficial court composer since his works were printed by
major publishing houses around Europe and were widely known.
However the only record of his death is to be found in the 1567
treatise on the 'Paesi bassi' by the Italian diplomat Ludovico
Guicciardini who argued that Gombert was one of 'the true
masters of music, the ones that have restored it and given it
back its perfection.' The high esteem in which Gombert was held
during his lifetime is evident from the number of contemporary
masses based on material from his works. Orlando di Lasso was
influenced by him, and the young Claudio Monteverdi was one of
his ardent admirers. As Uwe Schweikert reasons in his liner
notes, the elaboration and density of Gombert's contrapuntal
writing 'bears all the traits of a music, which in 1562/63
motivated Catholic radical reformers to their infamous attack
on polyphonic music in liturgy altogether at the Trent
council.' In fact the comprehensibility of the sacred texts is
almost obliterated by the sophisticated imitative writing. As a
result, the five- and six-part textures, in their uninterrupted
flow, tend to attain the status of autonomous musical works of
art.
The CD's programme is opened by the six-part motet Media Vita,
one of Gombert's undisputed masterpieces. The composer's
predilection for dark colours is demonstrated by the setting
for five male voices and only one 'superius' part. Equally
characteristic is his restraint in the use of outward
expressivity like melodic word painting, ornamentation or clear
caesura that could disturb the inward meditative flow. The
motet Media Vita provides the musical basis for the Missa Media
Vita. Extensive references are clearly audible particularly in
the first bars of the respective movements, where the opening
of the motet is quoted. However, in the progress of the piece
the material is used in a much freer way. Another six-part
masterwork closes the carefully constructed programme: the
motet Musae Jovis, a musical homage to Josquin Desprez.
For more than 30 years the Hilliard Ensemble has been known as
one of the most outstanding vocal groups whose sound 'can be
recognized within a single bar', as Matthew Power wrote in
Gramophone in 2004. The present recording is their 22nd on ECM
New Series. The collaboration between the English a cappella
quartet and the Munich based label began in 1986 with their
contribution to Arvo Part's 'Arbos' and subsequently lead to
unanimously praised artistic achievements and popular successes
in the fields of old and new music alike.
The ensemble's projects with improvising saxophonist Jan
Garbarek, including the million-selling 'Officium' and its
sequel 'Mnemosyne' have been a particular success, and the
collaboration continues to evolve with each yearly tour. The
Hilliard Ensemble's joint project with violinist Christoph
Poppen, 'Morimur', based on the Bach research of Helga Thoene,
intrigued many thousands of listeners around the world. The
Poppen/Hilliard association continued with 'Ricercar', recorded
2001, exploring musical and spiritual affinities between Bach
and Webern.
Composers including Barry Guy, Ivan Moody, Veljo Tormis and of
course Arvo Part have written for the Hilliards. On
'Lamentate', a recording with new works by Part released in
September 2005, the ensemble can be heard singing 'Da pacem
Domine'. 'Cathedral in the Thrashing Rain' by American composer
Stephen Hartke was issued in 2003 in the US and in 2005 in
Europe.
Further recordings with the Hilliard Ensemble are in
preparation.
CD package includes 24-page two language booklet with liner
notes by Jonathan Wainwright and Uwe Schweikert.
_______________________________________________________________________
01-Media Vita In Morte Sumus [06:10]
02-Kyrie [04:34]
03-Gloria [07:35]
04-Salve Regina [08:44]
05-Anima Mea Liquefacta Est [06:56]
06-Credo [10:16]
07-O Crux, Splendidior [06:33]
08-Sanctus [08:37]
09-Quam Pulchra Es [04:52]
10-Agnus Dei [05:24]
11-Musae Iovis [06:19]
-------
76:00 min