Search - Palestrina, King's College Choir, Ledger :: Missa Hodie Christus Natus Est / 6 Motets

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 03/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"PALESTRINA AND THE KING'S COLLEGE CHOIR: A MARRIAGE TRULY MADE IN HEAVEN!



In the dedication of his 'First Book of Motets', Palestrina (1525-1594), wrote: "The function of music in the church is the seasoning of devotion by the added delight of sweetness of song and variety of harmony. The sharper blame therefore do those deserve who misemploy so great and splendid a gift of God in light or unworthy things....." It is not so surprising to me, having read the previous comment that in the long list of masses, madrigals and motets, there is not one that is cheap or unworthy. Purity and clarity, comparative brevity and simplicity, polyphony used with judicious reserve, the banishing of secular elements from his music-these are the qualities which won him the title of 'Princeps Musicae' (Prince of Music)-which is engraved on his tombstone.



Since the time of Palestrina's death, musicians have seen his work as a compendium of craftsmanship, embodying a set of principles which once learned opens the door to compositional facility.



This recording brings together a selection of his music that might well have been performed during the Christmas liturgy, with the added bonus that this selection does span a good deal of his creative life.

The 6 Motets demonstrate an extremely malleable, essentially vertical style, which relies for much of its effect on harmonic color and subtle shifts of texture and sonority.



The centerpiece of this record is the 'Missa Hodie Christus natus est'which was actually not published until after his death. The 'Hodie' Mass is a 'parody mass' (or, more accurately, an 'imitation' mass),based on Palestrina's own eight-voice motet of the same name. .



The performance of this wonderful music by the King's College Choir under the direction of Philip Ledger (recorded in 1978) is truly magnificent! The boy sopranos sing like angels; the male altos are sonorous and they of course set the tone for the rest of the choir. I don't think that I have ever heard a bad performance by any King's College Choir, past or present, and some very GREAT singers have come forth from this group: Michael Chance, Michael George, Mark Padmore etc. So combine them with Palestrina and your pleasure will know no bounds!"