Customer Reviews

Allegri: Miserere; Palestrina: Stabat Mater

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The story of Allegri's "Miserere" has been told time and again, but warrants one more telling. Allegri was commissioned by then Pope Urban VIII to write this piece to be sung exclusively in the Sistine Shapel during Holy Week. This has been the case every year since 1638. The piece itself was written between 1630-38. On Wednesday and Good Friday during Holy Week, this Mass would be sung after 26 candles were extinguished, leaving a solitary one burning. This tradition holds true to this day.

The Mass was to be performed only in the Sistine Chapel, and up until Mozart's famous visit to the Chapel in 1770, only 3 written copies of the Mass were known to exist. Anyone else who copied it was either excommunicated, killed, or both. Mozart heard the Mass on that Wednesday, would write the Mass from momory that evening, then hear it again on Good Friday to correct a few errors. He was done at that point, and the piece was returned to Vienna, where it could be shared with the world. (This is a very abbreviated version of a fascinating story)

Thanks to Mozart, we can relish in the brilliance of Allegri's Mass, and this 1963 version is arguably the finest recording of it. The solo is maturely handled by treble Roy Goodman, and is central to the success of the recording. The re-mastering of this classic recording only enhances its beauty, wonderfully bringing out its delicate intricaces.

This recording, paired with several pieces by Palestrina, is well worth the mere $... asking price. It is worth much more, in my book, so give this classic Mass a listen, and be amazed.

I love Palestrina, but most of all I love the Allegri Miserere.

I bought the CD to replace an earlier version (performed by the St.John's College Choir)and I was really quite delighted.

The first surprise was to hear the Allegri piece in English. It's good; very good. Not as good as it is in Latin, but still fits the music well. The quality of this recording is breathtaking. You can genuinely sense the atmosphere of the recording space ... the voices simply fade away to nothing in the heights of the building. And the voices you hear seem like the voices of angels.

Similarly, the Palestrina pieces are exceptionally well performed and produce.

However, the real gem (and it's a diamond) is the Allegri. If ever there was a piece of music that can soothe ruffled brows it's this. Let the boys' voices life you to heaven like the soft, gentle wings of angels. Come home stressed, make a cup of hot chocolate, close the curtains, dim the lights and let the sound soothe you.

For those of you not familiar with Gregorio Allegri's: Miserere, it is an acapella vocal work that was jealously guarded by the Papal choir until Mozart heard of it and attended a performance. At the age of 14, and hearing it only twice, he went home and wrote it out. It is becuase of him that we have this beautiful piece in writing. This recording is excellent and I am sure any music lover would enjoy it. The treble solo is done by a young boy, Roy Goodman. Mr. Willcocks wanted the recording to be exactly how it was in the performance, therefore no editing was done, which is most impressive. Aside from the Miserere, there are several works by Palestrina, also performed beautifully and are worth a listen.

This recording of the Allegri Misere is one of the most beautiful that I've ever heard, or indeed hope to hear. It is absolutely amazing.

In a brief retort to the reviewer from Bakersfield, I do rather wish that you might refrain from refering to matters of religion, litergy, and "ritual" as being "stupid." Obviously, it meant something to Allegri. I'm not angry, but I am a bit vexed that you might say such things about something that is the very center of my life. I dare say others might have been similarly hurt by your remarks.

Regarding the Misere, I've heard some say that this is one of the greatest choral pieces ever written and others say that it was only at the level of something that Mozart could have written at the age of 5, pointing to the repeating stanzas,etc. In point of fact, there is that rumor that it was he who transcribed the composition as an adolecent. As a musican, I can tell you that everything that is written is always based on what already exists. Music is a progression. I would say it is more likely that this piece stuck with Mozart as inspiration. Mozart is known for pieces with simple but beautiful melodic lines, which the Miserere's is quite gorgeous and simple in it's own right--but fantastic enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck. To those who fault the repetition, Allegri was quite right to follow it. When Psalms are sung--which the Miserere is Psalm 51--it is usual for a particular line to be chosen as a refrain of sorts and repeated intermitently every verse or every other verse. This tradition is maintained in churches of various traditions to this day--and, I'm guessing, in synagogues as well. (Psalms are understood to be songs attributed to King David.)

As for the relative simplicity of this piece, one must remember that at the time it was written, this was the cutting edge. It sounds simple to us, but that's because we live in a post Wagner and Stravinski age. Keep in mind that it wasn't so long before this piece was written that they only had the tenor and duplum lines. But really, none of that even matters. This piece was written as a sacrifice of work to God, and "God is the simplest of all." Further, I think that the piece compliments the subject matter of the Psalm beautifully. This Psalm is about sin and feeling repentence. It's a simple subject that is filled with very complex emotions and grace. I think that the grace comes through very clearly here.

As for the quality of the recording, I don't think that anybody can argue that King's College Choir isn't pretty hard to beat. I have heard of a recording that might rival this one where well trained male and female singers are used. Maybe one day, I'll know enough to comment on that recording.

As noted in the earlier review, this recording has a vibrancy unusual in recordings of Allegri (which I attribute to the lack of editing). The presentation of the Miserere in English adds a new dimension as well.

There are many different versions of this work out in the world, possibly a result of the practice of keeping the score locked in the Sistine Chapel files and also keeping the ornamentation added by the singers secret as well. Many musicians were intrigued by the aura of secrecy about this work and visited the Chapel with the intent of notating the music as they heard it. This group included Mozart, among others, so there are many historic sources of what listeners heard and jotted down.

This rather stunning version of the work done in English and sung by the King's College Choir, led by David Willcocks overcomes a major block that lessen the musical value of a work when sung in a language other than original. It has been said that the 1963 recording by this ensemble is a perfect match between text and music, as if the work had been composed for the English text rather than its original Latin. The English language score that has been said to have been the source for this recording, the Novello Ivor Watkins 1951 edition, is not. There are major differences, differences that make the language of the King James Bible flow with an Italianate air. And these results are what brings about the flow and beauty of this work.

Having been entrusted with setting German translations to musicals and the Italian text to Sir William Walton's Opera THE BEAR under his supervision, I know that is rare for a work composed in one language to take on a life of its own, but that's what is so unique about this recording.

This performance is available on a variety CD's, however this version takes advantage of advanced audio processing now possible, which makes it of interest to even those who already have a version of this performance in their library.

Young Roy Goodman, soloist in this performance, has gone on to greatness in the field of Early Music.

Except for the two motets occupying the middle tracks that are scored for a single multi-part choir, all the pieces on this disc are antiphonal: two independent multi-part choirs alternate in singing stanzas of the text, or engage in counterpoint. Sometimes the two choirs sing together, with up to eight different layers (voices), four per choir, producing amazing harmonies that speak of the mastery of Renaissance composers. While the majority of reviews here seem to be concerned mainly with Allegri's Miserere chant (Psalm 51), a beautiful composition distinguished in this performance by the unbelievably pure high notes of treble Roy Goodman (he was 12 at the time), the five Palestrina pieces that constitute the rest of the CD are gems of Renaissance polyphony. The pieces are sacred music, but one need not be religious to appreciate the sublime art behind them. Listening intently to the multiple simultaneous voices, expertly delivered by King's College Choir under Sir David Willcocks, is a thrilling experience. I particularly admire Stabat Mater and Magnificat. The choir sings Miserere in English, the Palestrina pieces in Latin, while the enclosed booklet supplies English, French and German translations. The recordings go back to 1963. Antiphonal music cries for stereo and Decca doesn't disappoint; the 24-bit digital stereo transfer from the original analogue master tapes does the music justice. That Decca has issued this compilation under its Legends - Legendary Performances logo is entirely fitting.

As others have said, this is an excellent recording of some brilliant performances. I would add that the liner notes have a section written by Roy Goodman, describing his experiences as a King's College chorister, and specifically what happened on the day of the recording. Apparently, after the recording, David Willcocks told Roy that if he received a penny for every time the recording was played in the future, he'd become a millionaire! Evidently the contract wasn't written that way, but it seems Willcocks knew he'd just captured an outstanding event.

A classic recording that has never been bettered. David Willcocks's setting of Psalm 51 in English to Allegri's famous chant is superb. It's almost as if the music were written for the English rather than the original Latin version. And you can follow the words in the Prayer Book or Bible.