Fans
of the very excellent Andrew Lawrence-King and his Harp Consort
will need no second bidding to add this disc to their collection.
The music in this well chosen programme has all the rhythmic
flair and expressive impact of Lawrence-King’s earlier issues,
all sung and played with that understated elegance and sensitivity
which lifts the spirits and coddles the soul.
Juan Gutiérrez de
Padilla’s ‘Missa Ego flos campi’ is the central work in the programme.
In his informative booklet notes, Lawrence-King explains that
Padilla’s ‘Parody Mass’ is based on that composer’s own motets,
using and transforming a number of themes from these pieces
(now lost), but taking considerable liberties with the liturgical
texts. Padilla’s mass music is as formal as it is dance based
or related, and the other pieces on the CD are of dances connected
to those used as models for the numbers of the mass. Thanks
to the contemporary ambivalence of the church to the use of
these dance-forms the connection of popular/secular music with
that of the high church is a realistic one, although Lawrence-King
states that this is in no way intended to be any kind of liturgical
re-creation.
When
looking at Mexican music of this period one can take as read
that the principal influences come from Spain. This said, the various dance forms are peppered with Italian
and Afro-Cuban and African influences. This latter source is
clearly heard in the Cumbées, which would certainly not
have sounded out of place in ‘The Lion King.’ All of this means
that there is a surprising amount of contrast and variety in
both musical styles and nuances of sound. A Conch shell is perhaps
the most surprising of the instruments which appear here, but
a satisfyingly rich battery of variously sized drums, percussion,
shawms and sackbuts all add to the already intoxicating sound
of baroque guitars, harps and continuo.
The
vocal writing is also a fund of diversity, ranging from the
polyphonic composition of the mass texts, to ballads like the
wonderful Marizápalos bajó una tarde. All of the
texts are fully given and translated into English, and, as in
the case of the aforementioned Marizápalos are worth
following (as Peter Kay would say, ‘a bit of blue for the dads…’).
In all this is an
irresistible package for early music buffs and open-minded collectors
of all kinds. It is beautifully recorded and performed, with
some realistically muscular singing alongside the reduced-vibrato
church styles. The sheer range of colour from both singers and
ensemble put this production on a par with any previous prize-winners
in this category, and it would greatly surprise me if this were
to go unrecognised in 2006. I can only wonder as to why it took
so long for this CD to appear on the shelves, but now that it
is here I can only say how delighted I am to be able wholeheartedly
to urge you all to go out and buy it.
Dominy Clements
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