In Memoriam, 20 Years On

I. In Memoria Eterna: A Spiritual Vigil for the New Century (Organum/Marcel Pérès). Harmonia Mundi CD HMM 905319.

II. Simone de Bonfont: Missa Pro mortuis (Huelgas Ensemble/Paul van Nevel). Cypres CD CYP1682.

Paul van Nevel’s Huelgas Ensemble, singing with two voices per part, are well equipped to perform the work, with the exemplary sound, balance and vocal purity which they always show in renaissance music. This is a fine Requiem Mass, predominantly poised, consolatory in mood but with occasional striking dissonances. Completing the programme in similar vein, it’s followed by four different settings of the ‘Media vita in morte sumus’ text, from Arnold von Bruck (in German), Jacobus de Kerle, Orlandus Lassus and Nicolas Gombert. I especially appreciated the graceful, soaring lines of the Lassus work, as well as Gombert’s opening of rich, low-voiced textures.

While the main work may arguably fall a little short of its greatest renaissance counterparts from Lassus, Victoria and Morales, Bonefont’s is nevertheless a fine work and, for renaissance enthusiasts, interesting and well worth getting to know. Its performance here from Van Nevel’s ensemble is outstanding – both heartfelt and technically impeccable. So it would be most interesting to hear more by the composer but sadly, as Van Nevel tells us in his very informative booklet essay, this and three chansons are all the music known today from this very impressive musician.

This is an excellent live recording from the abbey church in Leuven, Belgium, with no audible sounds at all from the audience. Texts and translations are included. 

 

Champions of rare and rediscovered works of antiquity, New York Polyphony presents the world premiere recording of ​Loyset Compère’s ​Officium de Cruce, ​an elaborate, multi-movement motet cycle that rivals the masterpieces of Franco-Flemish contemporaries ​Pierre de la Rue and ​Josquin des Prez, ​both of whom also appear on the album. Additional works include ​Andrew Smith’s Salme 55​, ​Adrian Willaert’s​ ​Pater noster–​ ​Ave Maria, ​and ​Cyrillus Kreek’s ​Taaveti laul 22.

 

Officium de Cruce​ is an anomaly for its time – a long-form dramatic work likely intended for private devotional use. Composed for Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan from 1466 until his assassination a decade later, it depicts the events of the crucifixion of Jesus. The compositional techniques Compère employed, as well as the work’s overall expressive dimension, foreshadowed the innovations of Adrian Willaert and Nicolas Gombert a generation later. “The dramatic form of ​Officium de Cruce​ is, in a sense, a prototype for the madrigal cycles that began to appear in the late 16th century,” explains New York Polyphony countertenor ​Geoffrey Williams. “It has an expressive arc that is deeply affecting and innovative for composers of Compère’s generation.”Norwegian composer Andrew Smith’s (b. 1970) affiliation with New York Polyphony dates back to the ensemble’s inception. The music he has composed for the group has occupied such an important place in the group’s repertoire that they consider Smith to be a key factor in the development of their acclaimed sound. “It was through Andrew’s music that we learned to sing as a unit,” notes founding member and bass ​Craig Phillips​. “The format of his harmonic language, its reliance on the contours and colors of Gregorian chant, and how elegantly he sets text taught us how to communicate with each other, balance our timbres, and sing with uniformity of purpose.” Composed for New York Polyphony,​ ​Salme 55​is one of Smith’s most ambitious compositions. The text is a lament in which the psalmist prays to God for deliverance from the enemies that surround him, and the friend who has betrayed him. To illustrate the emotional extremes, Smith uses a range of techniques that include complex counterpoint, melodic fragmentation, and tonal ambiguity. The work received its premiere in 2014 at the Church of Saint Jean Baptiste in New York City and has remained a favorite in the repertoire of New York Polyphony ever since.