Outstanding!
06/15/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a collection of Rennaissance Choral Music (with some plainsong) that forms a complete sequence for Holy Week. It is pure magic- the instant I put it on and the unaccompanied trebles began their lovely hymn "Vexilla Regis" I felt the solemnity and power of the ancient Catholic liturgies and ceremonies for Holy Week that I have grown up with and was swept away into it all... Particularly striking was the way in which "Vexilla Regis" segues perfectly into the Allegri "Miserere". I couldn't stop listening until the phone pulled me away at about track 9! It is beautifully sung, in particular the Responsories by Gesualdo and the Crucifixus settings by Lotti, as well as of course the scintillating Allegri "Miserere" and (presented here for what may be its only ever performance) the even more powerful Bai "Miserere". The only let-down are the booklet notes- "rambling" doesn't even begin to describe how cumbersome and unhelpful they are, although I'd be lying if I said they are uninformative. I wonder why we've never heard of the Westminster Abbey Consort anywhere else- it is obviously composed of members of the Abbey Choir and guest soloists, and is used to produce some added Renaissance touches in the Bai, Gesualdo and Monteverdi (I hope I'm spelling these composers' names correctly!). This is a disc that has a very strong ethereal atmosphere, and I am surprised that Martin Neary never did any further plainsong recordings at Westminster. This is well worth hearing by anyone's standards, though people with strong spiritual feelings will be most affected by it. Well done to Sony and all involved!"
An amazing CD
Jessica | Virginia, USA | 11/29/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD encompasses many moods, but above all, is very calming. Listening to this music allows one to explore a very spiritual side of one's self and begin an introspective inquiry. I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates the sounds of a beautiful choir."
A very beautiful disk with an especially strong boy soprano
Craig Matteson | Ann Arbor, MI | 03/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this disk during a visit my oldest daughter and I paid to Westminster Abbey awhile back. We were fortunate to hear a choir rehearsing in the Abbey and as we were touring other portions and were near where the public does all the brass rubbings we heard this disk being played. It sounded especially fine reverberating through all that stone. Not only am I partial to sixteenth and seventeenth century polyphony, I have always enjoyed the sound of boys singing well. So, this disk was a must have.
The star piece, the Allegri "Miserere" is a famous piece with a less than straightforward history. It was a piece performed only in the Papal chapel. However, it was a very famous work and people wanted to get copies of the score, but were not allowed. Talented musicians, including famous musicians, went to hear the work and wrote down portions of it. At its peak the Papal Choir was dominated by castrati and it was probably the sound of their strong and high voices that made the Allegri work so effective.
The version of that work on this disk is not completely Allegri's work. It was "corrected" over the centuries and this version is a 19th century English interpretation of the work (still sung in Latin, of course). This version remains immensely popular and is very beautiful. The boy soprano singing the lead part here is very strong and makes the work ring in a way that is especially captivating. You can hear this work performed many times without hearing anything approaching the beauty of this recording.
The other works on the album are also quite wonderful. At times the boy's voices are supplemented with adult males and some women. We get wonderful works by Lotti, Gesualdo, Gabrielli, Monetverdi and others (including several relevant plainchant).
Great disk, which I strongly recommend to you."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1