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Magnificat
rec. 1970-2016
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95928 [14 CDs: 880:10]

The idea of trawling through fourteen discs of settings of the Magnificat might seem like torture to some, as this set contains 73 settings by 66 composers - yet Priory Records’ series of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis settings also reached a total of twenty-one volumes (of which I only have a handful). This set is in a way more representative, as it presents settings spanning the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries from throughout Europe. The result, if you like choral music, is a cornucopia of wonderful settings offering a vast array of styles, some of which are new to me and all of which are given at least very good performances, with each disc having at least one highlight.

The first disc is devoted to Franco-Flemish composers and opens with an expressive setting by Josquin des Pres, which proves a worthy opener and sets the scene well for what is to follow. However, for me it is the two settings by the Flemish composer Jacobus Vaet, a name new to me, which are the real finds here, especially in this wonderful performance by the Dufay Ensemble.

For disc two we cross the English Chanel for some of the best Renaissance English settings, beginning with those by William Mundy, Gibbons, Tomkins and three by Thomas Tallis, being the shining examples of the art form here. Those three Tallis settings, his two in Latin for four and five voices and his short version in English are all given excellent performance by Alistair Dixon and Chapelle du Roi, taken from separate volumes of their excellent survey of the complete music of Tallis for Signum, and showing his development as a composer from the Catholic rite to that for the Reformed Church.

For the third disc, we head to Italy for music which includes the superb setting by Claudio Monteverdi boasting a separate movement for each of the verses of the text. It receives a very atmospheric and pleasing performance from the Ensemble San Felice, and there is also some nice organ playing in the settings by Cavazzoni and Merulo. I was also quite taken by the female voices of the group In Dolce Jubilo in the final setting on this disc by another composer new to me, Giovanni Battista Fasolo.

We stay in Italy for discs four and five, the first of these opening with the lovely expression of faith which is the Magnificat of Luca Marenzio, a composer whose most notable compositions are about five hundred or so madrigals. Of the five other composers on this disc, only the music of Francesco Cavalli is known to me, yet it is the Magnificat by Giacomo Antonio Perti, a native of Bologna, whose use of brass makes a significant impact. Brass is also to be found in the setting by Amante Franzoni, a name new to me. Disc four contains music by two of the big guns of Italian music, Palestrina, whose Magnificat sexti toni a6 is wonderful, and Giovanni Gabrieli, who is represented by a Magnificat a14 typical of the Venetian master’s choral music, although he is nearly outdone by the opening setting by Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690), who is probably best known as a teacher of Vivaldi. The disc concludes with the setting by Giovanni Battista Bassani ((c.1650-1716), opening with a ‘Sinfonia’ for two violins and bass continuo before each verse is given an individual movement, making this the longest setting by far on this disc.

For the next disc we move to Iberia. It opens with the magnificent Magnificat octavi toni, one of the eighteen settings by the Spanish composer Christóbal de Morales, who despite being one of the most influential and admired composers of the period, found it difficult to gain employment due to his irascible nature. Portugal is represented here by the Magnificat secondi toni by Manuel Cardoso (1566-1650), in which he blends to great effect the musical styles of previous generations with that of more contemporary composers. The final setting on this disc takes us back to Italy and the Neapolitan composer Francesco Durante. He shunned opera for church music in favour of choral and especially religious music; his brilliant four-part Magnificat, recorded here, is often be attributed to Pergolesi.

With disc seven we are firmly in the German baroque, but only after a visit to the High Renaissance and a quite lovely setting by Swiss born Ludwig Senfl. This is followed by a remarkable Magnificat by Hieronymus Praetorius, which, while is seems to follow of well from the Senfl, soon shows its credentials as he introduces perhaps his most famous tune, In Dulci Jubilo, weaving the text around the tune skilfully. This is followed by a beautiful recording of Shütz’s Uppsala Magnificat, before the underappreciated Johann David Heinichen, who, through Kai Wessel’s lovely alto voice in his setting in A, clearly shows what an important composer he was, especially in the development of music in Dresden. This, along with the setting by Johann Kuhnau, make perfect introductions to the music of the baroque and the next three discs.

Disc eight opens with the longest setting on this disc, by Alessandro Scarlatti, a much more rounded musical figure than his more celebrated son Domenico. This particular work clearly shows his excellence at writing for the voice. This is followed by a shorter, but yet equally varied setting by the master of French baroque vocal music, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, which offers a good mix of solo and choral singing. The lesser-known French composer, Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy, is represented by a setting which employs the organ to great effect, starting with a wonderful flourish and then interspersing the lines with organ music. The Magnificat in D by Jan Dismas Zelenka, which here is in a version completed by Henk Badings, is a setting I know well, and here it receives a performance which stands up well to comparison. The same can be said of the setting by Buxtehude, which is here given a first-class performance.

The next disc offers both versions of Vivaldi’s setting on G minor RV 610, and the Venice version RV 611. Both are given good performances by vocalists and instrumentalists alike, with the differences between the two versions easy to detect; for example, the Et exultavit section of RV 610 is given over to soprano, alto, tenor and chorus, whereas in the Venice version it is the solo soprano which takes the limelight. It is fascinating to mark Vivaldi’s progression in these two versions and both offer the listener much enjoyment. The two Vivaldi settings sandwich an excellent setting in C by Telemann, which opens with a bright Sinfonia, followed by a statement of the opening chorus which, unlike either of the Vivaldi settings. Is bright and lively and follows on in the same vein as the music of the opening instrumental section.

What follows on disc 10 could be described as the epitome of a baroque setting of the Magnificat, that by J S Bach, which here is joined by that of his most gifted son, Carl Philipp Emanuel. J S Bach’s second setting of the Magnificat in D BWV 243 needs very little introduction in that it is probably the best-known and most recorded setting included here, and there are certainly many outstanding recordings to choose from. This recording boasts a very good roster of soloists, including the incomparable Peter Schreier as well as the Tomanerchor Leipzig. The setting by C P E Bach also offers a star-studded set of soloists with Schreier once again leading the way and Olaf Bär joining him to great effect. This might not be as well-known as the setting by his father, but it should be, being full of invention and variety; on listening to it, one understands why Mozart was such an admirer of C P E Bach.

Disc 11 offers the most variety of all the discs in this set as it offers music from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, opening with three settings by Mozart, each of which are taken from more extended works. Although Nicol Matt drives the performance along well, the sound is a little too large for me, and while the they make a sturdy introduction to this disc, I do miss the rest of the extended work. This is followed by a worthy performance of Schubert’s setting of the Magnificat D. 486, before the real meat of this disc, the setting in D by Mendelssohn with its wonderful fuga ending, here given a strong performance. Settings by Liszt and Bruckner before a short and quite beautiful setting taken from Hugo Distler’s Die Weihnachtsgeschichte.

For disc 12 we return to England with nine separate settings from the twentieth century, all taken from the Naxos back catalogue, with many of the recordings coming from the impressive series by the Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge under Christopher Robinson. The disc opens with the impressive St, Pauls setting from 1950 by Herbert Howells, in a performance I know well. This is followed by the first of two settings by Stanford for double choir Op. 146 performed by the Vasari Singers, the second being from St. John’s College Cambridge. These are separated by Parry’s setting from his Great Service which is given an excellent performance by the Manchester Cathedral Choir. All the rest come from the St. John’s recordings with the highlights being settings by Edmund Rubbra, Gerald Finzi and Kenneth Leighton, as well as a fine one by John Tavener.

The penultimate disc opens once again with another Naxos recording, with Krzysztof Penderecki’s Magnificat under the direction of Antoni Wit. This recording, whilst very good, sadly cannot compare with that of Krzysztof Penderecki’s own recording originally for EMI. That being said, this is still a strong and compelling recording, and its inclusion on this disc is most welcome. The disc concludes with a work that is in total contrast to the other worldliness of the Penderecki, Arvo Pärt’s Magnificat. Here, rather than the large forces we have of the previous work, Pärt offers the listener a more intimate and spiritual experience for soprano and chorus which is typical of his later spiritual minimalist style.

The final disc offers two works I know well. The first of these is the Naxos recording of John Rutter’s Magnificat conducted by Andrew Lucas. This music is unmistakably Rutter, with his particular and some would argue, popularist style being present from the opening orchestral tutti. However, popularist is not a bad thing given that his music enjoyed by choirs and audiences alike, and it is not hard to see why in the joyous setting which here receives a very fine recording, although I do prefer Patricia Forbes in Rutter’s own performance. By contrast, the Einojuhani Rautavaara setting of the Magnificat that brings this collection to its conclusion, is not what you would expect from listening to his orchestral style. I do have the 4 CD Ondine set of his choral music (ODE11862Q), which features this recording, and I must say that on hearing many of the works featured in the box, my eyes were opened to his style, with his rich vocal timbre giving insight into his other non-choral music. Said to be the first Magnificat to be composed in Finland, this setting is markedly different from most of what has gone before in this set, and while I would not agree with John Quinn’s assertion in his review of the Ondine set that he was “not sure it would suit liturgical use.” it would take a professional choir and a brave and forward choir master to programme it, never mind bring it off.

This is a very interesting and varied set which brings us settings of the Magnificat from across the ages and all spectrums of classical music. The music is colourful, with plenty of interest, and the performances are never less than good, making this a compelling set. There are performance highlights throughout, Christopher Robinson’s Naxos recordings of the twentieth century English settings being up there amongst the best, although I still miss the Nunc dimittis sections. Other highlights include Jeremy Summerly’s, Paul Hillier’s and Alistair Dixon’s performances of the earlier English settings on disc 2, as well as Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford under Stephen Darlington in the Palestrina. I also particularly enjoyed the Corydon Singers performance of the Praetorius and also the performance of the Heinichen by the Rheinische Kantorei and Hermann Max. Of the rest, both J S and C P E Bach settings receive very good performances although the J S Bach does sound a little dated, whilst the Hugo Distler’s wonderful setting is given a performance to match. - and the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir are more than a match for the complex setting by Einojuhani Rautavaara.

This set has much to recommend it, as it contains many fine settings and some first-rate performances. It also boasts very fine recorded sound, whilst the booklet notes by Philip Borg-Wheeler form a good introduction to the music. Although it is available elsewhere, I would have liked to have seen the text of the Magnificat included in the booklet, especially since it can hardly be considered as copyright.

Stuart Sillitoe

Contents 
Disc 1
1   Josquin Des Prez: Magnificat [7:50]
2   Pierre De La Rue: Magnificat tone IV [11:11]
3   Nicolas Gombert: Magnificat primi toni [3:54]
4   Adriaan Willaert: Magnificat sexti toni [11:34]
5   Jacobus Vaet: Magnificat secundi toni [8:36]
6   Jacobus Vaet: Magnificat sexti toni [9:51]
Disc 2
1   William Mundy: Magnificat [9:49]
2   Robert Fayrfax: Magnificat regale [12:48]
3   Orlando Gibbons: Magnificat in F Major [6:29]
4   Thomas Tomkins: Magnificat [5:25]
5   Robert Parsons: Magnificat [14:30]
6   Thomas Tallis: Magnificat [10:00]
7   Thomas Tallis: Magnificat [11:41]
8   Thomas Tallis: Magnificat [3:09]
Disc 3
1   Girolamo Cavazzoni: Magnificat primi toni [9:22]
2   Claudio Merulo: Magnificat del secondo tono [14:29]
3   Claudio Monteverdi: Magnificat SV 206:1 [18:54]
4   Adriano Banchieri: Nuovi pensieri ecclesiastici, Book 3, Op. 35: I. Magnificat primi toni [5:52]
5   Costanzo Porta: Magnificat a8 [9:02]
6   Giovanni Battista Fasolo: Magnificat sexti toni in F Major, Op. 8 No. 28 [7:02]
Disc 4
1   Luca Marenzio: Magnificat [6:18]
2   Francesco Cavalli: Musiche sacre: XVIII. Magnificat a8 [15:39]
3   Orazio Benevolo: Magnificat [8:46]
4   Giacomo Antonio Perti: Magnificat [19:31]
5   Pirro Capacelli Albergati: Magnificat [12:21]
6   Amante Franzoni: Magnificat [6:13]
Disc 5
1   Giovanni Legrenzi: Concerti musicali per uso di chiesa, Op. 1: I. Magnificat [9:37]
2   Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina: Magnificat sexti toni a6 [11:44]
3   Maurizio Cazzati: Salmi e messa, Op. 1: I. Magnificat [8:40]
4   Giovanni Gabrieli: Sacrae symphoniae II: XXVII. Magnificat a14 [6:51]
5   Giovanni Battista Bassani: Armonici entusiasmi di Davide, Op. 9: Magnificat [26:02]
Disc 6
1   Cristóbal De Morales: Magnificat octavi toni [7:19]
2   Joan Baptista Cabanilles: Magnificat a12 [8:58]
3   Manuel Cardoso: Magnificat secundi toni [11:28]
4   Sebastián De Vivanco: Magnificat octavi toni [12:03]
5   Francesco Durante: Magnificat in B-Flat Major [10:43]
Disc 7
1   Ludwig Senfl: Communio. Beatam me dicent – Magnificat sexti toni [9:36]
2   Hieronymus Praetorius: Magnificat [11:30]
3   Heinrich Schütz: Magnificat anima mea, SWV468 [13:12]
4   Johann David Heinichen: Magnificat in A Major, S.90 [12:33]
5   Johann Kuhnau: Magnificat mit weihnachtlichen Einlagesätzen [25:04]
Disc 8
1   Alessandro Scarlatti: Magnificat del primo tono [21:08]
2   Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Magnificat, H.72 [8:29]
3   Jean Nicolas Geoffroy (att.): Magnificat du premier ton [7:44]
4   Johann Philipp Krieger: Magnificat in C Major [7:20]
5   Jan Dismas Zelenka: Magnificat in D Major, ZWV 108 [9:51]
6   Dietrich Buxtehude: Magnificat, BuxWV Anh 1 [8:37]
Disc 9
1   Antonio Vivaldi: Magnificat in G Minor, RV 610 [13:15]
2   Georg Philipp Telemann: Lateinisches Magnificat in C Major, TWV 9:17 [18:31]
3   Antonio Vivaldi: Magnificat in G Minor, RV 611 [18:59]
Disc 10
1   Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243 [29:31]
2   Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Magnificat in D Major, Wq. 215 [43:12]
Disc 11
1   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Vesperae solenn es de dominica in C Major, K. 321: VI. Magnificat [4:31]
2   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Vesperae solenn es de confessore in C Major, K. 339: VI. Magnificat [4:54]
3   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Dixit dominus & magnificat in C Major, K. 193: I. Magnificat [5:49]
4   Franz Schubert: Magnificat in C Major, D. 486 [8:56]
5   Felix Mendelssohn: Magnificat in D Major [29:45]
6   Franz Liszt: Dante Symphony, S. 109: III. Magnificat [7:10]
7   Anton Bruckner: Magnificat in B-Flat Major, WAB 24 [4:45]
8   Hugo Distler: Die Weihnachtsgeschichte, Op. 10: I. Magnificat [2:05]
Disc 12
1   Herbert Howells: Magnificat and nunc dimittis: I. Magnificat [6:31]
2   Charles Stanford: Magnificat in B-Flat Major, Op. 164 [11:57]
3   Hubert Parry: Evening Service in D Major: I. Magnificat [4:02]
4   Charles Stanford: Evening Service in C Major, Op. 115: I. Magnificat [4:15]
5   William Walton: Magnificat and nunc dimittis: I. Magnificat [9:23]
6   Edmund Rubbra: Magnificat and nunc dimittis in A-Flat Major, Op. 65: I. Magnificat [5:01]
7   Gerald Finzi: Magnificat, Op. 36 [9:23]
8   Kenneth Leighton: Magnificat and nunc dimittis: I. Magnificat [5:01]
9   John Travener: Magnificat and nunc dimittis: I. Magnificat [7:35]
Disc 13
1   Krzysztof Penderecki: Magnificat [44:42]
2   Arvo Pärt: Magnificat [6:55]
Disc 14
1   John Rutter: Magnificat [39:02]
2   Einojuhani Rautavaara: Magnificat [16:08]

Artists
Accademia degli Invaghiti
Alsfelder Vokalensemble
Amystis
Ars Nova Copenhagen
Capella Alamire
Capella Cantorum Berlin
Cappella Musicale di Santa Barbara
Chamber Choir of Europe
Chapelle du Roi
Choirs of St Albans Cathedral
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge
Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle
Chorvereinigung Bruckner
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford
Coro Claudio Monteverdi
Corydon Singers
Dresdner Kreuzchor
Dufay Ensemble
Ensemble San Felice
Finnish Radio Chamber Choir
Hallenser Madrigalisten
Holland Boys Choir
La Dolcezza
Le Concert Spirituel
Les Metaboles
Les Nations
Marburger Bachchor
Nederlands Kamerkoor
Netherlands Philharmonic Chorus
Neues Bach Colegium Musicum
Nova Ars Cantandi
Opella Musica
Oxford Camerata
Prager Kammerchor
Rheinische Kantorei
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Schutz-Akademie
Thomanerchor Leipzig
Tolzer Knabenchor
Vasari Singers
Virtuosi di Praga
Voces Cantabiles
Warsaw Boys’ & Philharmonic Choirs
Wiener Sangerknaben