Search - Palestrina, Ratzinger, Regensburger Domspatzen :: Mass Papae Marcelli Motet

Stirring sacred polyphony from the Pope's brother

Mark Hennicke | A stone's throw from Carnegie Hall | 08/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The "Missae Papae Marcelli" has long been my favorite piece of sacred choral music. Until I discovered this cd, my favorite performance was the one directed by Simon Preston on DG's Archiv Produktion period instrument label. But this rendering by the Regensburger Domspatzen, under the able direction of Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI's older brother, is now the clear first choice for me in this, the pre-eminent masterpiece of Palestrina's works. The sound is crystal clear, and the singing of the Regensburger Domspatzen is absolutely inspiring.



Msgr. Ratzinger has long been considered one of Europe's finest choral conductors,and he utterly excels in sacred choral works like this masterpiece from the Prince of Music. He was, for 30 years, the music director of the Regensburg Cathedral in Germany. On the occasion of his retirement in 1994, Monsignor's younger brother, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, gave the sermon at the Mass marking the event. In describing what effective sacred music should accomplish, our current Holy Father said:"...it must introduce men into the fellowship of Christ as fellow suppliants at prayer here and now,in this era and in a specific location. It must be accessible to them while at the same time leading them onward in the direction that the divine liturgy itself formulates with unsurpassable brevity at the beginning of the Canon:sursum corda-lift up your hearts! Lift up the heart, meaning the inner man, the totality of the self, to the heights of God himself, to the sublimity that is God and that in Christ touches the earth, drawing it in with and upward toward itself." Palestrina's music has always done this for me,and this cd by the Regensbuger Domspatzen & Msgr. Georg Ratzinger is a fine example of how such inspiring music should be performed. This recording would be a worthwhile addition to any collection of fine music!

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Die Regensburger Domspatzen Shine Again!

william D. Rakes | Eden, N.C. | 03/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Regensburger Domspatzen are not only the oldest boychoir in the world,they are right-up-there with Austria's Famed Wiener Saengerknaben as one of the world's finest. As their primary function is to sing in the cathedral of St. Peter in Regensburg, they usualy perform and record as a S-A-T-B ensemble. On this cd, they devotre their tallents to the motests and the "Missa Papae Marcelli" of Palestrina. Their highg notes are clear, their latin intonation perfect, the blend of the boy sopranos and altos with the male tenors and basses created a unified sound while letting the different parts stand out. In the rich cathedral accoustics of the recording location, they give their all: taking the listener to a musical experience as if one was listening to angels singing their praises to God! Any lover of boychiors, Palestrina, acapella religious music or the Domspatzen, should not be without this cd. It is, to put it bluntly, AWSOME!"