Customer Reviews

Mexican Baroque

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I almost didn't buy this cd. I was a little skeptical about the title. I had never heard of Mexican Baroque (New Spain) composers. I was totally shocked, surprised, and ecstatic that I bought this cd. The very first piece by de Jerusalem was sooo beautiful that I played it over and over and over again. A fellow reviewer said that #21, the Lamentations are worth the price alone. I couldn't agree more. It is a deeply beautiful and moving peace that instantly reminds me of Gregorio Allegri's Misere Mei, Deus as well as Versa est in Luctum by Alonso Lobo (another fine peace at often times passed over) This music truly does rival Handel, Bach, and Vivaldi in terms of beauty. I am glad that I was adventerous enough to buy a cd I normally would not have even considered. BUY IT--YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!

I was one of the first people ever to hear this music in a commercial venue, when Chanticleer and the Janus Ensemble performed selections from Mexican Baroque in NYC back in 1996. The CD does not disappoint. The two composers featured were extremely well versed in the Baroque style recognizable from the European masters with a definite Iberian flare.

The polyphonies of Zumaya in "Sol-fa de Pedro" in particular, I would be so bold as to say, rival any of Monteverdi's or Handel's in their harmoniously complexities. "The Lamentations" are beautifully executed, and I think it really takes a very softened and fluid sounding ensemble like Chanticleer to do them justice. The soloists were not overly pronounced in this melancholy piece which shines by virtue its several seamless transitions as each fades in and out of the choir.

De Jerusalem I thought took a clear second place among the two, but his work is absolutely beautiful regardless. The imitative counterpoint in the opening track is notably well-executed. His rendition of Dixit Dominus is yet another unique interpretation of this popular Psalm though the opening is somewhat lighter than the majestic and austere power familiar from other composers. The monody of the "Virgam Virtutis" has a touch of "recitative" to it: the 'Tuba Mirum" of Mozart's Requiem comes to mind. "Iudicabit" is a torrential rush of strings and voice that word paints its subject in a forceful and energetic way without the typical Baroque severity. The joyous "Amen" choral caps off the vesper with a suitable finale for this work. In 9.1 minutes, Jerusalem sports a tremendous range of compositional talent which, acording to my meager musical education, has hints of the classical elements that begin to appear in the mid 18th century during his lifetime.

As other reviewers have said, you will not regret your purchase.

This album is phenomenal! Just when you get used to hearing Chanticleer sing a cappella, they come out with a CD of Baroque music with a marvelous sinfonia!
Track 21, the Lamentations of Jeremiah is worth the price of admission by itself. The sonorities are passionate and moving. This album does much to bring to recognition to marvelous creations of "New Spain" during the Baroque Era. If you haven't heard any of this music, buy this album as an amazing introduction.

I discovered this cd while at Borders- gave it a try with the headphones and bought it on the spot. I am a big baroque fan but not especially of vocal music- but this and other Chanticleer cds have changed my mind and opened it as well- Give the samples a try- It has become one of my favorite cds. highly recommended!!

Afortunadamente, este disco, como aun muy
pocos en el mercado, nos brinda la oportunidad
de escuchar musica sacra y profana de Nueva Espana.
Musica de dos grandes compositores de Nueva Espana,
Ignacio de Jerusalem, y Manuel de Zumaya. Zumaya,
se descaco en las catedrales de Oaxaca, y Ciudad
de Mexico. Jerusalem vino de Italia, y se
destaco en la catedral de la Ciudad de Mexico,
su Misa Polycoral fue encontrada en una antigua
mision Espanola en California. En todas estas
obras se puede apreciar bien, el refinamiento
tecnico-musical, de las colonias Espanolas en
el nuevo mundo, en comparacion con las colonias
Inglesas.Cuando en los territorios Ingleses aun
se componian los rusticos "Fuguing Tunes" ya en
las colonias espanolas se conocia la opera, y otras
formas musicales mas refinadas y avanzadas. A
Zumaya se le conoce como el primer nativo del nuevo
mundo en haber compuesto una opera, "Perthenope" en 1711.
Este es un gran disco, y un buen punto para empezar a
conocer el tesoro musical de nuestro hemisferio.

Maybe the musical sophistication achieved in Mexico during the XVIII century is not well known. This recording will go a long way toward exposing the greatness of Mexican composers of that time. This recording was recommended to me by a PhD musicologist as an example of the excellent polyphony written by Mexican authors. Some pieces are a capella and of an older, Renaissance style; others with a baroque ensemble reflect a later, baroque style of composition. This CD comes with excellent program notes explaining the history and the styles of the two composers.

Chanticleer is a Capella ensemble doing interpretations of vocal literature from Renaissance to Jazz and from gospel to new music since its debut in 1978 over The Mission Dolores of San Francisco. In this album the Chanticleer ensemble interprets Baroque Music created for the Mexico City Cathedral by Ignacio de Jerusalem and Manuel de Zumaya during the 18th century.This music was widely performed throughout "New Spain," basically any Spanish Colonies north of Panama, including portions of what it is now Texas and California. The Chanticleer has done a wonderful performance of this music.

Very few musical centers in The New World surpassed the sophistication of Mexico City during the Baroque Era. The chapel masters of Mexican churches were creating concerted music of extraordinary beauty and elegance. Two music composers stand out in the history of the 18th century Mexican music: Manuel de Zumaya and Ignacio de Jerusalen. Manuel de Zumaya was born in Mexico around 1678. The multiplicity of Zumaya's style and talents are reflected in this album with The Lamentations, Celebren, publiquen (large polychoral sound piece), and Sol-fa (Solfeggio piece) de Pedro. Ignacio de Jerusalen was born in Italy in 1710 and recruited in 1742 to play in the coliseum in Mexico CIty. By the 1746, Mr. Ignacio de Jerusalen was composing music for the Mexican City Cathedral and was appointed as the chapel master in 1749. He remained as the chapel master until his death in 1769. Jerusalem's music was spred through the New Spain and copies of his music manuscripts have been found in the Texas and California missions. The Dixit Dominus and Mass in D have graceful and transparent fugues. The Reponsorio Segundo de Jose revels high Baroque style.

The booklet included with the CD presents a little history of the music and the music lyrics. The history is presented in multiple language.

The CD is highly recommended.

Here are some detail from where the music is registered. This data is taken from the booklet included as part of the CD album.

Ignacio de Jerusalem
---------------------
Responsorio Segundo de S.S. Jose (2nd Responsory fro St. Joseph): Musical Archive of the Mexico City Cathedral, Reel 32 of the microfilm :Archivo Musica Sacra Cat. Met. C: de Mexico 1966.

Dixit Dominus:
Musical Archive of the Mexico City Cathedral, Rekk 5 of the microfilm "Archivo Musica Sacra Cat. Met. C: de Mexico 1966.

Polychoral Mass in D:
Uncatalogued collection of performances parts for an anonymous polychoral mass in D major in the ARchival Center of the Archdioceses of Los Angeles, San Fernando Mission. It has argued that the manuscrits belong to Ignacio de Jerusalem.

Manuel Zumaya
--------------
Hieremiae Prophetae Lamentations (The Lamentation sof Jeremiah)
Mexico City Cathedral Choirbook IV, Museo Virreinal de Tepotzotlan, Deparment XXIX, Oficina 71, Obra 14. It is on the micorfilm collection of Robert Snow at The University Of Texas.

So-fa de Pedro
Guatemala City Cathedral. It is on the micorfilm collection of Robert Snow at The University Of Texas.

Celebren publiquen
Oaxaca Cathedral, Caja 49, No. 17. Published as part of Tesoro de la Musica Polifonica en Mexico Vol. 3 Ed. by Aurelio Tello. Mexico City: CENIDIM, 1983.

ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL AND QUITE UNIQUE!
While British colonists were composing their rugged "fugueing tunes" in the British colonies, chapel masters in Mexican cathedrals were composing concerted vocal music of great beauty and elegance that was widely performed throughout "New Spain" from Gautemala in the south to the California missions in the north.

In eighteenth century Mexican music the names of Manuel de Zumaya and Ignacio de Jerusalem stand out. Zumaya,s (1678-1755)music became the epitome of the Baroque style in the New World. He was an extremely original composer, his works rivaling in quality those of his European comtemporaries. The works on this recording reflect the many sides of Zulmaya's talents and styles. His music draws from the huge tomes of polyphony and show his skilled mastery of the older Renaissance style. The "Lamentations" (1717) makes use of coloration and ligatures contemporaneus with Handel's early operas. He authored the charming "Sol-fa de Pedro" (1715) during the gruelling examinations used to choose the Chapel Master at the Mexico City Cathedral. It is a "sol-fa", or solfeggio piece, where solfeggios syllables are sung to specific notes. Zumaya's exciting "Celebran,publiquen" demonstrates his ability to handle the large polychoral sound of the high Baroque. The rich textures and instrumental writing reflect his "modern" style, and are at the opposite end of the spectrum from his anachronistic Renaissance settings.

Ignacio de Jerusalem(1710-1769) very quickly established quite a reputation as a composer and a virtuoso violinist. His style differs greatly from Zumaya's style. Whereas Zumaya reveals a mastery of the high Baroque, Jerusalem propels the Mexico City Cathedral into the "modern" world of the 'galante' style. Although he opts for homophonic texture,his contrapuntal abilities were quite respectable. The "Dixit Dominus" and (Polychoral)" Mass in D" have graceful and easily followed fugues. The 'Responsorio de S.S. Jose' reveals another side of Jerusalem- that of the high Baroque. Of all his pieces, this is the one that most captures the spirit of Bach rather than Mozart.

If you have listened to the "Virgin of Gaudelupe" matins by Jerusalem, also recorded by Chanticleer, you have a good sense of what this disc sounds like; it is indeed very attractive music and truly enjoyable to listen to; however, just as the music of Broadway can wear 'thin' after too many listenings, so can this music. BUT I would not want it unavailable to me when I was in the 'mood' to hear it. It's just not Palestrina , or Byrd or Bach, etc.

Chanticleer is perfection in performance, very much like their British contemporaries, the King Singers. They sing just about anything from Renaissance to jazz, and very well indeed. Incidentally the name Chanticleer is taken from the clear-singing rooster in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The group's personnel varies from time, but usually includes 4 countertenors divided into soprano and alto, 3 tenors and 4 basses, give or take a few. But they are all skilled singers and their discs are usually excellent.!!!!

I agree completely with the previous reviewers, but let me add that the CD was awarded Best Classical Music recording the year it came out.
It's still one of my favorites, endlessly enchanting.

A marvelous disc of a much-neglected piece of Baroque-era music history. Emotive and eloquent, I consider this recording to be one of the true treasures of my CD library.