Search - William [Composer] Byrd :: The Tallis Scholars Sing William Byrd

The two sides of William Byrd

Russ | Richmond, VA | 12/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here we have a two disc compilation of the sacred choral works of the English composer William Byrd (c1540-1623), as expertly sung by the Tallis Scholars. On the one side, one is exposed to the lovely Masses and motets of a composer whose Catholic faith is obviously deeply felt. While on the other, one hears the composer's highly communicative and joyous Anglican works, the texts of which the composer probably never fully connected. Although these recordings have already been separately issued by the Gimell label, it is great to have them combined here at a discounted price. In fact, if you were only going to make one purchase of Byrd's choral works, this is certainly the one to make.



The first disc is entirely dedicated to the Catholic works of Byrd, including his three Masses. Byrd was a lifelong Catholic, and it is within these solemn pieces, at least to me, Byrd seems to be at his most expressive. These are fascinating works, and can be considered among the finest Mass settings composed during the renaissance. Although the Masses were probably written in the 1590's, they look back to the music of earlier composers, such as Tallis and Gombert. The beautiful Agnus Dei of the five-part Mass is a personal favorite. But whether it is the intricate polyphony, rich textures or the long, flowing melodic lines, each of the Mass settings is great, and distinctive, in its own way. Concluding the first disc is the hauntingly lovely 'Infelix ego'. This piece, with its soaring, amazingly high, soprano line, is reminiscent of Allegri's 'Miscere', which has always been one of my favorites.



The second disc predominately consists of Byrd's Anglican works, including his longest composition, 'The Great Service'. This setting is indeed impressive, with its scoring for two five-part choirs and its emotive imitative polyphony. The program exuberantly concludes with 'Sing joyfully unto God', Byrd's most famous anthem. The idea that Byrd held true to his Catholic faith, even as he composed these Anglican pieces, is not apparent in the least given the intricate beauty of these works. It is worth noting that the Anglican works are different from the Catholic works, in that they are in English (as opposed to Latin), their harmonic structure is more chordal and the texture is a little less complex, making the text easier to discern.



There is no doubt that Byrd was one of the greatest composers of the late renaissance. This is music that is both timeless and beautiful. As one would expect from the forces involved, each piece is excellently performed and recorded. The program notes are sufficiently detailed and provide a good overview of the different aspects of the composer's style. Texts and translations of each composition are included as well. In summary, this is a fabulous program which will, I am sure, provide me with years of listening pleasure.



Highest Recommendation!



Total Times:

CD1: 79:05

CD2: 79:03"

Best of the Best

S. T. Hickcox | Baton Rouge, LA USA | 07/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are two sixteenth century composers whose music makes my ears perk up. They are William Byrd and Giovanni Palestrina, and The Tallis Scholars stand out in the top rank of their interpreters. This two CD set is an excellent example of their treatment of Byrd's music. Russ from Richmond wrote an excellent, detailed review and I see no need to repeat what he said.



I can not put my finger on what makes the music so special to me. I tend to have it playing in the background and, when these pieces come on, they grab my attention.



Excellent value, too. Highest recommendation."