Customer Reviews

Palestrina: Missa Pro Defunctis & Motets

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There is little to add, this music is an example of musics "inner life"; it would be good done by any competent group of singers. Chanticleer comes along,like Prince Charming and kisses it to life. I have had this recording for years now; it joined a collection of requiems, glorias, te deums, psalms, cantatas and other choral works that I really like. That this cd, twelve voices, should take precedence, in my mind, over some of the greatest liturgical pieces in the catalog amazes me until I realise what it is that makes such a powerful impression. It is the difference between a glass of crystal clear cold water and a tin cup of lukewarm water. It is alive. I'm an old coot; I've been collecting records for 60 years and like mosr people I'm opiniated enough to reject some things out of hand- things like a capella singing for instance. When I heard the first piece on the cd, "Gaude Glorioso" I was bamboozled. I played it several times trying to find something wrong with it. As it progressed I capitulated upon the requiem. I hesitate to bandy words like "greatest" but it's tempting to hang that banner on this music. Of a couple of thousand cd's this is the one I return to over and over. It is,to me, the very apotheosis of music in the service of spirituality. I have serious reservations about religion but this stuff speaks to me with a loud voice. I have the pleasure of having met and talked with the singers and I asked one of them whether or not he ever felt aware of just how good they were and he shook his head. Evidently the requirement is humility before the music and to rehearse until you get it right. This they do. Listen to the "Sanctus". No organ, no orchestra, only twelve voices to fill the musical heavens.

The choice of pieces to record here is various. Chanticleer puts to disc not only Palestrina's Requiem, but also various motets, a number from the Canticum canticorum (the sensuous texts of which are allegorical for love for Christ). O Bone Jesu (one of Palestrina's most popular and most recorded pieces) is here. The hymn Pange Lingua (the verses of which alternate between plainchant and polyphony) is a favorite of mine as well. The chant itself is one of those treasures of the chant tradition. Furthermore it is the basis for some stunning vocal parts in the polyphonic verses. Another setting of the Tantum Ergo text (a section of the Pange Lingua hymn), which uses this same chant as a basis, is one of my favorite Palestrina pieces... but that's another story. The singing here is of the highest quality. Chanticleer produces a smooth, warm, slightly bright tone which is most pleasing. They sing with excellent balance and as a result the symmetry and elegance of the individual vocal lines comes through clearly. In interpretive terms, I'm not sure if I completely agree with their approach. The requiem at times seems to lack a sense of the profundity of the context the piece was written for. Admittedly Palestrina's requiem is not a dark piece, but is also not a Canticum canticorum motet (I make that comparison because the singing in the Reuquiem and the joyful motets often sound the same). But don't get me wrong - the singing of O Bone Jesu demonstrates clearly that Chanticleer is capable of sobriety and supplication. The program here is not as unified as some, but it seems that Chanticleer has chosen a wide variety of pieces intentionally - they highlight the wide range of feeling contained in Palestrina's pieces. Highly recommended...

In the context of the somber austerity of the Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, Palestrina illustrates that even sorrow can be made into a thing of beauty. He has taken the simple melodies of the chanted Requiem and encrusted them in lush tonalities, without making an overblown production and turning the whole event into a concert (q.v. Verdi "Requiem"). The Requiem is precisely not that...it is to be a comfort and a solace...something familiar and comfortable...someday it will be our turn in the box. For the student of Gregorian Chant the familiar chants can be easily discerned throughout and indeed served as the basis of this setting. In this instance Palestrina shows that he is willing to follow the decrees of the Council of Trent regarding the clarity of the text, while his selections from the Canticle of Canticles (also on this recording) is in the more florid (and less wod-based) style. This recording illustrates how such a knowledge of Chant is vital to the correct interpretation of this genre of music...without an understanding of the ancient sources the performance can become muddled and operatic.Unlike Verdi, Palestrina is a believer and this colors his music. He has understood that music is one of the tools which can elevate the mind towards God...music is the means, not the end.
Oddly enough, the true gem in this recording is not the Requiem. Palestrina's setting of the "Pange Lingua" shows how polyphony can be used with chant. The verses alternate between chant and polyphony, but even the polyphony is based upon the chant...just listen to the First verse "Pange" in ployphony and then the second "Nobis" and listen closely...you will notice what I mean. The first time that I heard this version (and being both a student of music and now a student of theology, I have heard many ... renditions of this poetic hymn) I was overcome and had to listen to it again, precisely because the use of chant is incorporated so perfectly by the composer. It was one of those moments where you know stop and say "wow". The goal in our day is to use these settings for their intended purpose...to remove them from the concert hall and to reinstate them in church. Hats off to Chanticleer for another well-executed disc.

This recording took me totally by surprise in many different ways. In the first place, I had never before heard Palestrina's setting of the Missa Pro Defunctis, so I was delighted to hear this recording. Another way this recording took me by surprise is the quality of the singing. This is the first Chanticleer recording I have purchased and I am more than impressed with them. I have always like the sound of all male choirs, the main reason being the wonderful color. My biggest complaint with groups like the Tallis Scholars is that in many cases (at least on their recordings, the effect is less pronounced when you hear them live) they produce "white noise" with no color, no contrast. The sound is too blended. But the voices on this recording sound beautiful. The dynamics are great; no one voice dominates (the sound of the male sopranos/countertenors is such a relief from very shrill female voices). The final surprise this recording presented was the combination of material presented. I've been trying to find the pange lingua chant for the longest time; it's great to have several canticum canticorum pieces together on the same recording; finally the Salve Regina and O Bone Jesu are two of my favorite pieces. Very highly recommended...

After listening to all of the Tallis Scholars' Palestrina recordings (I got their boxed set!), It was such a joy to hear these 12 gentlemen sing this requiem mass. The blend was warmer, and moves closer to the heart of the listener...but they were able to execute it in such a way that it doesn't become too "romantic." The veneer of the distant, aloof renaissance spirit is still there.

Palestrina's requiem mass is an absolute beauty, I wonder why it doesn't figure prominently alongside his other mass settings. And the opening track, I just had to listen to that like 10 straight times!

This album is SUPERBLY recorded! I somehow wish the Tallis Scholars were recorded this way. Done in a space that provides just enough resonance but without the usual, annoying echo. The 2nd track, the requiem gregorian chant is so "live." I've always felt it was the perfect recording of a gregorian chant. Very clear, very somber, very "old." This single track moved me to get Chanticleer's Mysteria album.

This album will not disappoint you. You get Palestrina's beautiful requiem, and clear, warm (not shrill) voices, recorded in a great way!

Chanticleer has a wonderful talent for performing works of the Rennaissance period gracefully and accurately. The melodic lines are masterfully brought to the ear's attention while the thick harmonic layerings are felt below, in a somewhat ominous fashion. This music is beyond beautiful and is performed without flaw. One can sit back and drift away to the mysterious and beautiful sounds of Palestrina.

A gift for my son-in-law. He loved this cd. I purchased it used and it was perfect. If you wonder if Chanticleer is only a rooster--give this a look. You will be delighted, even if you are not a musical genius (as aforementioned son-in-law).

PALESTRINA IS THE MASTER! His music is sublime, and here, Chanticleer does a marvelous job of expressing his mass for the dead. They are an all male adult choir, just like many in cathedrals in 16th century Europe. Even their number of choristers is just right, as some modern recordings mass too many voices together, blurring and muddying the clarity of each voice. This one is a music library keeper!

This is possibly the most beautiful CD I have purchased in a long time. The counter tenors voices soar above with the angelic quality of boy sopranos. Inspiring!

A hauntingly beautiful mass for comforting those who have lost a loved one.