Customer Reviews

Allegri: Miserere

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I'm quite sure there must be many people like me,who early on in their record collecting career,heard a brief excerpt of Allegri's "Miserere" over the radio perhaps,or on a film soundtrack,and exclaimed: "What is that !" and "why don't I own something that beautiful ?"; "Take me to it at once !!".In my case I rushed out to my local record shop (after carefully consulting my "bible" i.e "The Penguin Guide to Classical CDs") and was fortunate enough to find this lovely Tallis Scholars recording just waiting there for me.Now,there are some excellent "Misereres" available elsewhere,with brilliant boy soloists soaring magically up to those spine-tingling high Cs,but this recording is something apart and special.For a start,it is a girl (the excellent Alison Stamp) who has the solo limelight,and also Peter Philips,the director,had the brilliant notion of seperating the solo group of the choir,and placing them at the far end of Merton College Chapel.Not only does this fully exploit the fantastic acoustics of the building,but it creates the marvellous effect of making the piece come across almost as a dialogue between Heaven and Earth.It's a truly otherworldly listening experience,and should not be missed by anyone who claims to love music.

William Mundy's "Vox Patris Caelestis" (The Voice of the heavenly Father) is a celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary,and borrows heavily from the Song of Solomon.Perhaps at first you might think it doesn't quite have the appeal of the other two items on this disc,but it does repay repeated listening,and with the barely reined in passion of it's final verse provides a most satisfying sonic bridge between the more subdued beauties of the other masterworks.

The well considered interval of silence after the impressive "Amen" of "Vox Patris..." only serves to heighten the eager anticipation you should rightly feel before the commencement of Palestrina's outstandingly beautiful "Missa Papae Marcelli".I won't burden you now with an Academic dissertation (I'm ill-qualified to do so anyway) on it's genesis and provenance.Instead I'll just baldly (and boldly) state that if you are entirely new to polyphonic settings of the Mass,then this is the loveliest launchpad possible for you to soar Heavenwards on a fantastic voyage of discovery.From it's oh,so sublime "Kyrie",to the absolute raptures of it's "Sanctus" and two part "Agnus Dei",it reminds me of nothing so much as a glorious musical galleon sailing across a barely ruffled ocean towards a blissful horizon of peace via the concluding "dona nobis pacem".Quite,quite astonishing that such paradisiacal sounds can be produced by such a small group of men and women -- and not an instument (apart from their vocal cords) to be seen !

So,waste not a second more of your life,if you have any regard at all for your harmonic health,in snapping up this wonderful CD.Your personal countdown has started;so step aboard,join me,and we'll ply the seraphic seas of polyphony together.

--Allegri's Miserere--
Part of the power of the Miserere lies in its basic simplicity, which is one of the fundamental building blocks of spirituality. Indeed, legend has it that the Pope once decreed that it could only be performed at the Vatican, and only under conditions of special care due to its spiritual power. Legend continues that this monopoly was broken when Mozart (as a child) heard the piece and, from one hearing only, transcribed the music into print form and distributed it from there. Perhaps this is an embellishment, but it is a romantic story befitting the piece. The Miserere is based on Psalm 51 (Allegri's setting is but one of many), the great penitential psalm of the Lenten season. This sombre and searching spirituality permeates the music from start to finish. The high piercing notes recalling the piercing guilt and the pierced Christ cry over the mixture of voices that produce a most exquisite grumble of humanity in search of God.

--Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli-
Written at least a generation prior to Allegri's Miserere, Palestrina's Mass for Pope Marcellus II is likewise a composition in search of the absolute and absolving God. Reacting to an overly ornate liturgy of the Roman Catholic church in the face of popular and growing Reformation types, Palestrina became a great champion for music that preserved both the grandeur of the liturgy as well as the accessibility of the message and language for the people. The lower vocals make the Mass a part of the people, rather than existing on high, inaccessible.

--William Mundy's Vox Patris caelestis-
Mundy's work is roughly contemporary with that of Palestrina (mid to late 1500s). The Vox Patris caelestis (the voice of the heavenly Father) is a decidedly Catholic English composition, which places it during the reign of Mary. Mundy was in many ways opposite from Palestrina - clarity of words and simplicity of music were secondary concerns, if concerns at all.

All of these pieces are glorious polyphonic compositions of extraordinary power and grace. Taken as a set, they make a wonderful snapshot of Roman Catholic/high Anglican sensibility from the time of religious upheaval due to the Reformation.

--The Tallis Scholars-
The Tallis Scholars are a group dedicated to the performance and preservation of the best of this type of music. A choral group of exceptional ability, I have been privileged to see them many times in public, and at almost every performance, the Miserere by Allegri is expected and delivered with near-flawless grace. Directed by Peter Phillips, the group consists of a small number of male and female singers who have trained themselves well to their task.

This recording deserves more than five stars; it deserves a place on the shelf of anyone who loves choral music, liturgical music or Gregorian chant, classical music generally, or religious music. When listening, fair warning: prepare to be moved.

Unlike other reviewers of the Miserere on this site, I have neither the credentials nor the eloquence to prove why you should purchase this recording for your collection. I can only say that you will be thrilled by the beauty and depth of the music. When I've been stressed out, I have only to listen for a few moments before I begin to feel my breathing slow and my shoulders relax. I've had this music playing quietly in the background along with other selections of jazz and/or new age during an evening, and invariably a guest who hasn't heard it will lift their head and turn their ear toward the music. I've even had friends ask me to get the CD cover so they can take down the information. Listen to some of the sample strings on this site and you will want to hear the Miserere in its entirety.

This is haunting music that most people may not remember specifically but when they hear it again will recall it immediately. Mozart as a child was instantly in awe of this music. He tried to get his hands on the score but it was hidden away as a secret. So Mozart listened and copied. That is how this music first became public. It is not often heard today but if and when you hear it you will be struck as if by lightning. This recording is clear as a bell. The Tallis Scholars are an amazing group. I saw them live in 2006 and note that this recording was made in 1980. Both the recording and their live performance demonstrate amazing scholarship and attention to detail both in performance practice and acoustics.

OK...so I am no expert at classical music; and apparently, I know next to nothing about this particular sub-genre of it. But it sure sounds purty.

Actually, I have more than a passing knowledge of polyphony, but all that technical crap falls like scales from my eyes (and ears) in the presence of this soaring music. The Miserere--there are other great pieces here, but trust me, you're buying this disc for the Miserere--is a Latin setting of David's Psalm 51.

Psalm 51--which in The Message (a "translation" that I usually like, but it kind of falls short when it comes to plumbing the depth of David's sorrow in Psalm 51) begins like this:

"Generous in love--God, give grace!
Huge in mercy--wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down."

(I've always said the Message can be a little too hyphen-tastic and a little too cutesy. Cases in point: the first two lines and then "soak out my sins in your laundry." But I digress from a digression here).

The main point is that this is extremely beautiful music--music (to use a few more hyphens of me own) inspired by one of the most beautiful Psalms (read it in the ESV for instance).

David wrote Psalm 51 following Nathan's confrontation of him about his sin with Bathsheba. As a result of David's sin, his newborn child died. David turned with a full heart to his God. The Miserere (Psalm 51) is the heart cry of one king to Another. The mortal king asks the Heavenly One for what only God can give--forgiveness of sin and a new, clean heart.

Reading some of the excellent reviews below told me just how little I know about this music technically. To tell you the truth, a lot of that stuff is over my head and beyond my concern. I know, for instance, that some folks don't care for the Tallis Scholars using female voices in these pieces. That doesn't really matter to me one way or the other. I am blown away by the beauty of all these pieces--the Miserere being foremost among them.

I give this disc my full recommendation.

I don't listen to the whole thng every day, but I definitely listen to the Miserere or Missa Papae Marcelli. Allegri's Miserere does get slightly repetitive, but if all the recordings I have I like this one the best. The two choirs sound like they're very far apart, one choir sounding like it's very far from the microphone. Generally this recording is slower than the rest (but not the slowest). The Mundy piece is one on this disc that I listen to the least. Not that it isn't any good, it just isn't a classic like the stuff by Allegri & Palestrina. It starts out very quiet & calm, and over 19 minutes other voices gradually join in one by one & builds to a crescendo for the last ~3mins. The high point by far on this disc is Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli. In contrast to some other composers (like, say, Victoria) whose music is "hot" or "passionate", Palestrina's is "cool", "serene" & "effortless". Mozart's got nothing on Palestrina! Ever since the first time I heard this mass for the first time I have always thought that it is one of the most perfect pieces of music ever composed, & this is probably the best recording out there. The kyrie starts out the mass slightly jubilant & "truimphant"; the gloria is processional; the credo is faster than the rest & slightly intense, especially at the end (though nothing like Victoria). The climax for me is the sanctus, which... well, is the climax! I always get the feeling that everything has building up to that point when I listen. The first agnus dei is somewhat of a continuation of the sanctus/benedictus & when the second agnus dei starts I can tell it's starting to wrap up... which makes me sad :p It's sort of the same feeling you get when you have to say goodbye to someone who's moving away or something lol. All in all, one of my favourite discs ever, and I still listen to parts of it every day.

This is the only CD by The Tallis Scholars in my collection that I really like; and I have a lot, Josquin, Isaac, de Rore... I think the lot sounds rather antiseptic, clinical; i.e. not the sound, but the performance. In many cases it can be wise to check out other performers than the most famous ones. (The perhaps not so famous Huelgas Ensemble has a very nice Missa Praeter Rerum Seriem.)
Anyway, this early performance is really great!
I agree with the reviewer Brendan, that Allegri's Miserere not is the most interesting piece here. The repetitions make it appealing like modern pop music - repetitions go for ecstasy. Repetitons may also give a meditative effect. The gem for entertaining is in fact the least famous Mundy's Vox patris caelestis, which has a real build-up to an emotional peak. Glorious!
The famous Palestrina-mass sounds very nice on this performance.
Very, very recommendable!

This is by far the best version of Gregorio Allegri's most celebrated work, Miserere that I have ever heard. I have listened the the recording of it by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, and while they are probably the finest choir in the world today, this recording of Miserere from the early 1980s is the best ever.

1980 RECORDING OF ALLEGRI'S MISERERE CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE FINEST PERFORMANCE THUS FAR.
Quite simple in construction, much of its impact relies on the conditions of performance,especially the acoustic. And so the TALLIS SCHOLARS have used a reverberant building. It was recorded in Merton College, Oxford, and sets new standards for recording unaccompanied music,

I would be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful moments created by the solo group in 'Miserere': Allison Stamp(treble), Jane Armstrong, Michael Chance and Julian Walker. The sound of their voices raises us to the heights and projects such exquisite beauty. Stamp's high note as the melody peaks is uncanningly lovely.

Palestrina's 'Missa papae Marcelli' has five movements. the richness of his music comes from the predomanent use of lower voices- two tenors and two basses- with one countertenor and one treble. It was this glorious 'Marcellus Mass' that earned special praise from the Council of Trent in 1564 (a council convened to purify the church service) and was the reason that Palestrina's music was left untouched.

William Mundy's 'Vox Patris Caelestis'(the voice of the Heavenly Father) was written during Queen Mary's reign (1553-1558) and is contemporary with Palestrina's work. Mundy composed on an enormous scale, the audibility of the work being secondary to the expansion of the melodies, though he clearly appreciated the sensual connotations of his text, which is adapted from the 'Song of Solomon', as in, for instance, the repetitions of the word 'Veni'.

There is much to enjoy on this disc for the Early Music lover. Of course,one only need see the name 'Tallis Scholars', and we know that we will hear the best in tone production, balance, phrasing, diction and appropriate emotion as dictated by the music. Listening to this recording is one of the best of listening experiences, difficult to match!!!!

I've owned this recording for a long time. It never fails to transport me to some other wordly place, no matter how many times I hear it. It is complete, utter perfection, in composition and performance.