December 2013

Renaissance Christmas

Recent recordings include the continuing series dedicated to Palestrina, including the great Christmas Mass O magnum mysterium.

Composer: Henry VIII (1491-1547), GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI da PALESTRINA (1525-1594), CRISTOBAL de MORALES (1500-1553), JACOBUS HANDL (1550-1591), MICHAEL PRAETORIUS (1571-1621), JAN PIETERZOON SWEELINCK (1562-1621), JOHANNES ECCARD (1553-1611),

CD Info: Harmoni Mundi CD HM 902170, Coro CD COR16114

Medieval Christmas

Two fine young Finnish ensembles, Oliphant and Vox Silentii, remind us of the glories of sacred music for the season from the middle ages.

Composer:

CD Info: CD PRSACD 2038, CD ABCD 222

Advent from Oxford, Cambridge, and Mt. Sinai

Two recent releases from the great English universities are contrasted to Capella Romana's latest dedicated to the story of the Three Holy Children.

Composer: WILLIAM BYRD, MICHAEL PRAETORIUS, TOMAS LUIS de VICTORIA, Howells , Williams , Sheppard, Rutter , Bach, Mendelssohn, Warlock, Tavener, Rachmaninov

CD Info: Decca CD B0018696-02; SKU 80014538;CD LC 12979 , CD 907579

Gloria tibi Trinitas

Peter Phillips chose the famous mass by the father of Tudor composers, John Taverner, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tallis Scholars (who first appeared on the program 32 years ago).

Composer: John Taverner (c.1490-1545)

CD Info: CDGIM 045

I Sing the Birth

It has been a rough year, especially in New York and environs--let's give the last word for the season to New York Polyphony, with music for the Twelve Days and the New Year.

Composer: Andrew SMITH (b.1970), Kenneth LEIGHTON (1929–1988), Giovanni Pierluigi da PALESTRINA (c.1525–1594), PEROTIN (c.1160–1240), William CORNYSH (c.1465–1523), Peter Maxwell DAVIES (b.1934), Clemens non PAPA (c.1510–c.1556), Robert PARSONS (c.1530–?1570), Richard SMERT (fl.1428–1477), William BYRD (c.1540–1623), William CORNYSH (d. 1523), Thomas TALLIS (c. 1505 – 1585), Walter LAMBE (b. 1450/51 - 1499), John DUNSTABLE (c. 1390 – 1453), John TAVERNER (c. 1495 – 1560?), Christopher TYE (c. 1505 - 1572)

CD Info: Avie CD AV 2186, Avie CD AV 2141