Search - The Tallis Scholars :: The Tallis Scholars - Renaissance Giants

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 09/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I LOVE YOU PETER PHILLIPS!!!!!!Quote by Phillips:

"The Renaissance is well-known for its cultural giants. Leonardi di Vinci, Raphael, and above all Michelangelo epitomizes a period when the human spirit seemed to grow and gain confidence. This collection of complete works celebrates the musical geniuses who contributed to this astonishing period in European history."



Included on this disc are the following composers: THOMAS TALLIS wrote music if the highest quality for nearly 60 years and "SPEM IN ALIUM" IS unquestionably the largest single work of that period. It was conceived for 40 independent voice parts in eight 5-part choirs. The effect of 40 parts coming together in properly argued polyphony is quite staggering! And the Scholars assisted by selected equally skilled singers give a performance of which Tallis, himself, would be proud!



JOHN TAVENER chose the beautiful melody known as the 'WESTERN WYNDE' which encourages the wind and rain to do their worst as long as the singer and his beloved can be together. In choosing such a profane model for a Mass-setting Tavener was not in fact doing anything uncommon; what was unusual was quoting the tune 36 times, and Tavener had the ability to make them all interesting.



JOSQUIN'S 'MISSA PANGE LINGUA' is perhaps the best known work and possibly his last mass-setting. It is a set of variations on a well-known tune. The tune is a chant melody from the liturgy of the Feast of Corpus Christi, and it is so hidden in the polyphonic structure that one may think of th entire composition as a fantasy or a plainsong, rather than a set of variations.



PALESTRINA was by and large the most celebrated Italian composer of the High Renaissance and like Josquin, a legend in his time. His 'MISSA BREVIS' was probably written for the Vatican Choir. No one knows why this piece is called 'Brevis' because it is not unusually short and all the usual movements are present.



WILLIAM BYRD did not write any single gigantic work and is remembered for his numerous small-scale pieces. Byrd's 'MASS FOR FOUR VOICES' is one of the three masses he wrote in the 1590's and published, without title pages, in defiance of the Protestant ban on Catholic artifacts.



TOMAS LUIS VICTORIA wrote his 'REQUIEM' in 1603; in fact he only wrote Sacred Music. His 'SIX VOICE REQUIEM' cannot be matched among High Renaissance masterpieces. The slow inevitable unfolding of this music, movement by movement, in complete serenity surely has a message for all time.



Peter Philips has created (1973) an ensemble with excellent blend, perfect intonation and a purity and clarity of sound that he feels best senses the Renaissance music allowing every detail to be heard. It is indeed the resulting beauty of sound for which the Tallis Scholars have been widely renowned. THE BOSTON GLOBE, Dec. 1998: "Anyone famliliar with Renaissance music knows that this group has attained superstardom among its ilk."



























































































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A superb set

Sid Nuncius | London England | 03/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 2CD set is a wonderful introduction to Renaissance polyphony. The recordings are some of the finest made by the Tallis Scholars over the last 30 years, during which time they have become firmly established as one of the world's very finest ensembles in this repertoire.



There is a magnificent version of Tallis's stunning 40-part motet Spem in alium which alone is worth the price of the set. There are also beautiful mass settings by Taverner, Palestrina and Byrd - all wonderful music, and all superbly sung. The real highlight of the set for me, though, is the Scholars' landmark recording of the Requiem by Tomas Luis de Victoria. This is a work of radiant beauty which I have loved since I was first given the cassette tape issue of it over twenty years ago. From the opening Introit to the closing responsory Libera me it still holds me spellbound every time.



Such a superlative collection of works sung to perfection and at budget price make this a fantastic set. If you want a first-rate performance of any of the music here, or if you're looking for somewhere to start with this repertoire, you simply could not do better. Very highly recommended.

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