Connoisseurs of early music will know already that this is
an oldish recording; others must strain their eyes to read the
tiny print on the back cover which reveals that this is in fact
a reissue by Newton of a CD that originally came out on Sony
Classical in the early 1990s (Vivarte CD46348).
The good news for those who missed it the first time is that
Brumel was a genius, perhaps the first truly French giant of
the Renaissance and generally ranked only below Josquin, and
that these are superb performances by the Huelgas Ensemble,
one of many inspired recordings they made for Sony. Incredibly,
Paul van Nevel has been the band's director for forty
years and around fifty commercial releases. Perhaps therein
lies the stimulus for their latest release on Deutsche Harmonia
Mundi: 'The Art of the Cigar' (88697771422)!
Though this was, first time round, the premiere recording of
Brumel's 'Earthquake' Mass - named after
an antiphon text (Matthew 28:2) rather than a seismic event
- there are one or two others now available, most notably by
Peter Phillips' Tallis Scholars, recently re-released
in a splendid four-disc box set by Gimell - see review.
The Tallis Scholars' version is surprisingly different,
not least because they sing - in keeping with period practice
- a semitone higher than Brumel writes and the Huelgas sing,
giving the latter a decidedly more darkling hue. The Huelgas
are also recorded more closely, having the intimacy and warmth
of a chapel rather than the Tallis Scholars' cathedral.
Sound is outstandingly balanced and generally excellent, with
not a sign of the age of the recordings. Given that Brumel's
Mass is pretty ground-breaking for the period - not only for
its twelve Apostle-symbolising voices (three per range) instead
of the usual four, but for its chordal harmony blocks that anticipate
later trends - both recordings should go on every collector's
shopping list.
The Huelgas Ensemble offer a superior blend of shimmering voice
qualities and dynamics, with heaven-sent, minimally contrapuntal
lines beautifully managed. For those familiar with only a few
works of this period, it might be ventured that Brumel's
Mass is at times reminiscent of Thomas Tallis's famous
Spem in Alium, or Striggio's recently re-discovered Missa
Sopra 'Ecco Sì Beato Giorno', though it does predate
them by several decades. In part this is due to the intricate,
strikingly detailed sonic tapestry woven by the parts, but also
to the magical wave-like nature of the slow-moving harmonies,
strangely sensuous and ultimately, in the mesmerising three-part
Agnus Dei, exalting.
The Dies Irae sequence comes from Brumel's Requiem Mass
and is thought to be the first known polyphonic setting of the
text. The melody is familiar to modern audiences through the
likes of Liszt and Berlioz, though it is somewhat less tumultuous
in Brumel's hands! Yet what it lacks in Hadean foreboding
it makes up for in gravity: Brumel's deliberately archaic
idiom heightens the piety but deepens the sombreness. Nonetheless,
the Sequentia is an enthralling work of great profundity and
beauty, delicately coloured by brass accompaniment and some
polyphonic improvisation, peering back to Léonin and Pérotin
with a mixture of reverent nostalgia and serene introspection.
Newton have at least provided new notes, informative and well
written by David Fallows, with translations into German and
French. Full sung texts are also provided in original Latin
with an English translation. The thickness of the booklet is
accounted for mainly by these translations - no further track-listing
is provided, for example.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
Huelgas Ensemble/Paul van Nevel