This repertoire has been mulled over by several groups and the
original joy and surprise at its discovery may have slightly worn off. You
may know the three discs recorded by Hyperion featuring the choir Ex
Cathedra. This new release with three groups of musicians under Leonardo
Garcìa Alarcòn has moved this repertoire into the outside lane
and up a gear. Looking at the pictures in the booklet the performers
obviously loved it too, even dancing to much of it. The Cappella
Mediterranea consists of four soloists (SATB). The Choeur de Chambre de
Namur is a group of another twelve singers which acts as a chorus. Ensemble
Clematis comprises fourteen mixed instrumentalists. All sorts of percussion
are used especially castanets.
Many of these pieces have been recorded before and we are now into a
position where we can make appropriate comparisons. Juan de Araujo is the
name to remember here, as it is on Ex Cathedra’s ‘Fire Burning
in Snow’ disc, (Hyperion CDA67600). This composer’s profile has,
in the last decade, been much raised and quite rightly so. He combines the
style and language of the Iberian peninsula with Monteverdi’s double
choir techniques; no more so than in the
Dixit Dominus. This can be
heard on the Ex Cathedra disc mentioned above. Set for three choirs it might
well remind you of a setting from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1612 with
its use of an obvious Gregorian chant and also the quick interchanges
between the choirs. After the first minute or so, we enter a strongly
syncopated section which lifts the mood further, helped by this vibrant
performance which comes out at half a minute quicker than Jeffrey
Skidmore’s group.
This new disc includes the fascinating
Hanacpachap
cussicuinin, which, in the exotic language of Quechua means ‘Joy
of Heaven’. We only have four verses here and they are taken at a
bright pace. Ex Cathedra record all twenty on the Hyperion disc, divided
across the CD into four groups of five. I’m not sure why they did this
and it becomes a somewhat irritating as you listen through although the
dignified nature of their approach is recommendable. I also feel that for
Alarcòn’s singers the percussion is a natural arm of their
overall sound, their equal almost. For the English group, who not only have
a rather Anglican sound in their purity, when percussion is introduced which
they are very willing to do, it acts as an accompaniment, almost a
distraction from their beautiful voices.
Alarcòn puts his best card down immediately with a spirited
and excited performance of
A Belén me llego, tio by Gaspar
Fernandez. It’s a Christmas piece and makes a great start. The
excellent booklet notes by Jerome Lejeune say, rather oddly that the
“sacred section of the CD begins with the processional chant for the
worship of Mary
Hanacpachap cussicuinin” but the five tracks
which precede it are also religious with texts strongly alluding to
Christmas and Easter and in the case of
Aesta Sol peregrine to
‘Divine St. Peter’.
Salazar’s
Salga el torillo hosquillo is one of the most
exciting pieces in this repertoire. Ex Cathedra recorded it on ‘Moon,
Sun and all things’ (Hyperion CDA67524). There is nothing wrong with
their performance at all, but Alarcòn’s musicians really let
rip at a slightly faster pace and the whole thing takes off authentically.
The longest work is the
Missa de Batalla by Joan Cererols.
Amongst its previous recordings is one by Jordi Savall (Auvidis E 8704
recorded in 1988). It bears up well in comparison featuring as it does the
late, lamented Montserrat Figueras however I prefer this new version. There
is a greater sense of life engendered and a better balance of instruments
against voices. There is also some beautifully warm cornetto playing in this
new version especially in the Credo. Both versions vary little in length but
Savall’s Credo is paced at one consistent tempo.
The
Missa is scored for three slightly differently designed
choirs. There are a few passages that are unaccompanied. The
‘Crucifixus est pro nobis’ in the Credo is one, then the full
force of choirs, percussion and wind burst in spectacularly. The voices are
double by instruments and have a continuo of theorbo, harp and violone. It
is a kind of parody mass probably written in early 1648 after a triumphant
war over the territory of Naples by the Aragonese who laid claim to it;
hence the intervention of trumpets and battle drums. The effect is quite
brilliant; listen to the Sanctus for example. The Agnus is one declamation
shorter than usual so Savall introduces an instrumental central section. I
prefer, in this movement, Savall’s calmer approach.
One oddity in the presentation of the booklet is that texts are
provided for the first six tracks: not for the ‘sacred’ section
and not for the mass or the later motets like Araujo’s beautiful
eight-part
Salve Regina.
This is a fine disc and well worth searching out. It will bring you
much joy.
Gary Higginson
