Search - Perti, Vartolo :: Perti: Lamentations / Liturgy For Good Friday

Excellent baroque Tenebrae

M. J. Smith | Seattle, WA USA | 01/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perti's duets - especially the alto/tenor duets - make this setting of Good Friday Tenebrae special. The Hebrew letters of the acrostic lamentations of Jeremiah are given the frequent ornate melismatic treatment but this treatment does not overshadow the lamentation itself. The choral responsories are done with a small choir, allowing the settings to retain an appropriate somber mood. This is Baroque sacred music at its best. If you are not familar with Perti, consider this an essential, inexpensive introduction."

Lamentions for solo voice, responsories for two or three

M. J. Smith | 12/14/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Vartolo is the perfect performer to record Perti. He is in fact Perti's successor as maestro di cappella at San Petronio, Bologna. This is a sensitive performance and well thought out, though one can't help thinking the order of responsories between the sections from Jeremiah is a little odd. For example track [6] 'Tamquam ad latronem' describes the arrest of Christ in Gethsemane, but we have already had [3] 'Velum templi scissum' the rending of the temple veil. Still if you want a passion play there's always Lassus or Schutz. Full texts (thankyou Naxos) and English translations. Playing time is a generous 77'59""