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De Rore: Missa Doulce Memoire, Missa A Note Negre - Rice, Brabant Ensemble (2013)

Posted By: peotuvave

Date: 23 Apr 2014 08:46:04

The Brabant Ensemble continue their investigation into unknown jewels of the Low Countries Renaissance, researched by their director Stephen Rice and recorded with equal amounts of passion and erudition by the young singers of the group. Cipriano de Rore was and is principally known as a madrigal composer, and, as Stephen Rice writes, ‘blended the contrapuntal complexity of Low Countries polyphonic style with Italian poetic texts to create a newly expressive vernacular genre’. This recording represents something of a new departure in presenting some of the least well-known aspects of the output of a composer who is justly famous in other fields.

The album contains two Mass settings based on French chansons, Missa a note negre on a composition by Rore himself, and Missa Doulce mémoire, which takes one of the sixteenth century’s greatest hits, by Pierre Regnault dit Sandrin (c1490–after 1560) as its inspiration. Also included are three motets. Fratres: Scitote is apparently a unique instance of composition to its text: St Paul here tells the story of the Last Supper, in which Jesus takes bread, blesses and distributes it, and thereby institutes the ritual of Holy Communion.

Composer: Cypriano de Rore
Conductor: Stephen Rice
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble

Reviews: Cipriano de Rore is one of three major figures from the Low Countries who made significant advances in musical form and expression in the later sixteenth century. The others were Adrian Willaert (c.1490 - 1562) and Philippe Verdelot (c.1480/85 - ?1530/32). Their music is not as well known as that by composers like Josquin and Palestrina who came - roughly - before and after them although it certainly deserves to be.

Although not immodest, de Rore's is music of great self-confidence, conviction and beauty. The lines are varied yet express a concentration that makes for compelling listening. The harmonies are clear but at the same time embellish the composer's highly original ideas. The adherence of the melodies to the spirit of the texts is remarkable. It informs our listening with a fresh and binding integrity.

Stephen Rice was awarded his Doctorate on Gombert as recently as 2004 - from Oxford. Yet he has established a fine momentum in bringing these composers to our attention with the aptly-named Brabant Ensemble. Their singing is remarkably sensitive to the crystalline substance of the music of this era. Yet it is the substance, and not the veneer, that they address with every new release. There have been almost a dozen so far.

The singers' tempi are gentle and finely-tuned though never sluggish. There is also a real sense that the dozen or so singers of the Ensemble, which was founded in 1998 and has recorded for Hyperion since 2006, are not recreating the music; still less reluctantly infusing it with new life. They are inhabiting it and performing something vibrant and robust. The Brabant Ensemble is also a true ensemble: the singers blend very well in all ways.

At the same time they respect the delicacy and focus of de Rore's textures. Listen to the individually-articulated syllables of the O altitudo divitiarum (tr.6), for instance. Rice elicits as much warmth as he does precision from his singers and that's a gift. He also focuses attention on de Rore's beautiful long lines, where freshness and evident, almost deconstructed, grace are as important as impression and agility. Both of the mass settings here are based on French chansons. That too tethers them to a vernacular in which de Rore was decidedly at home. This aspect is coupled to an appeal to the divine that almost belies the readiness of the secular madrigal, for which de Rore is best known. That's most evident in the Kyrie, say, of the longest work on the CD, the Missa 'a note negre' (tr.9). Indeed, the composer made his most lasting contribution in madrigal writing. It's necessary to appreciate this in order to understand his at times (almost) homophonic techniques in sacred music where polyphony otherwise prevailed.

Like the other composers from the North mentioned, de Rore worked chiefly in Italy. In fact the music we hear on this superb CD is full of the sun and the colour of that culture. It's not explosive or over-demonstrative: the short Fratres 'Scitote' (tr.7), for example, could also have been composed by a Taverner or a Tallis. Like most of the other pieces here, it's contained and clean without ever being severe - or sung brusquely by the Brabant Ensemble.

The Brabant’s accounts have enthusiasm and dedication as much as they unobtrusively exhibit high technical competence. It's clear in the way they attack Illuxit nunc sacra dies, motet (tr.8), for instance, just how much they are enjoying this lovely music - but not merely for its sound. Rather, for the purpose and confessional import which has survived so perceptibly in de Rore's phrasing and repetition over half a millennium.

The acoustic is as responsive as it is appropriately unspectacular. The words can all be heard. Yet there is more than a dash of welcome 'occasion', but never spurious atmosphere. The result is performances of sober devotion, which is surely entirely in keeping with the composer's intent.

Tracklisting:

1. Illuxit nunc sacra dies, motet by Cypriano de Rore
Conductor: Stephen Rice
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble
Period: Renaissance

2. Missa "Doulce mémoire" by Cypriano de Rore
Conductor: Stephen Rice
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble
Period: Renaissance

3. O altitudo divitiarum by Cypriano de Rore
Conductor: Stephen Rice
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble
Period: Renaissance

4. Fratres "Scitote" by Cypriano de Rore
Conductor: Stephen Rice
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble
Period: Renaissance

5. Missa "a note negre" by Cypriano de Rore
Conductor: Stephen Rice
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble
Period: Renaissance

EAC

Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 3 from 29. August 2011

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Stephen Rice: The Brabant Ensemble / Rore: Missa Doulce Mémoire & Missa A Note Negre

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