Paul Hillier/Fragments [IMPORT]

Theatre of Voices (Artist), Paul Hillier (Artist), Anonymous (Artist), Perotinus (Artist), Matteo Da Perugia (Artist), Antonio Zachara da Teramo (Artist), Manuel Gazes (Artist), John Plousiadenos (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 9, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
• ASIN: B0000631BR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214,162 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On this fine new CD from Paul Hillier's Theatre of Voices, the group examines music beginning with the period during which the Christian Church became "fragmented" by schism; that is, when it became centered in Rome on the one side and Constantinople on the other (represented by Orthodox music from Russia and Greece). These are the two most dramatic examples, although England and France are covered as well.

One possible cavil: it's doubtful that the Eastern music was (or is) performed as it's done on this disc. The selections sound more Western than, say, the way I have heard Russian groups intone the same music and not as "authentic" as Marcel Peres's ravishing stab at Corsican chant. That said, this music, from the 12th century to the 17th century, is glorious to listen to under any circumstances. One would have to be either a rigid scholar of the period or a cleric with a point to prove not to enjoy it. The rich textures are artfully brought out by the six men's voices, and one is left with just the right (out of context) devotional impressions. Early music and chant aficionados will bathe comfortably in the sounds presented here. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept, mostly enjoyable and very well recorded, September 16, 2002

By	LC (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

About the title: Paul Hillier's note for this recording informs us that "the title [Fragments] refers to the fragmented survival of the distant musical past in manuscript collections which are often in incomplete or damaged condition, and to the fragmentation of Christianity into Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism." And David Vernier, in his lengthier essay, stresses that "while the title of this recording aptly refers to the music we hear as 'fragments,' the term does not mean that you will hear compositions chopped off in mid-sentence, so to speak. Rather, these are self-contained and aesthetically satisfying pieces that fully demonstrate the music's style and substance."

The pieces themselves are samples of chant and polyphony from Italy (1-5), Greece (6-9), Russia (10-13), England (14-20) and France (21). Hillier, director of the Theatre of Voices, writes that the program was conceived of as an "abstract design" highlighting "certain elements of feeling and sonority" which the different musical traditions represented here have in common. This is certainly an interesting idea, but I am not sure it entirely succeeds. It sometimes seems that at least some of the commonalities we hear are forced on the music, and so are more a feature of the performances than of the music itself. The Greek chant in particular barely sounds Greek at all after you've listened to a group such as the excellent Greek Byzantine Choir. Furthermore, I can't quite lose the feeling that I'm listening to a kind of "greatest hits" programme. That said, this recording could definitely serve as a very nice introduction to the world of chant and early polyphony for a newcomer, or as an enjoyable traversal of different styles for someone more familiar with them (even if perhaps they don't sound as different as they should).

The Theatre of Voices here consists of one countertenor, three tenors, and two baritones, including Hillier himself. The group has a very alluring sound, and the six men sound completely natural together. Questions of authenticity aside, the group sings each set of selections convincingly. The performances of Greek and Russian chant are enjoyable on their own terms, and it is particularly easy to lose oneself in the Italian and English selections. Perotin's polyphonic masterwork "Viderunt omnes," representing the French tradition, is well performed, though the music itself rather overshadows the other selections (which it actually antedates) in its sophistication. For Perotin, however, the competition is especially strong, and if one is considering this recording for "Viderunt Omnes," one would do better with the Hilliard Ensemble (also directed by Hillier), whose exquisite, liquid subtlety probably succeeds better than the Theatre of Voices' more driven performance.

One certain reason to like "Fragments" is the excellent quality of the recording, which was made in the St. Osdag Church, Neustadt-Mandelsloh, Germany. I cannot think of any pure vocal recording I've heard with more natural and accurate balance and spatial definition, a feature which tends to make the group's cohesion all the more impressive.

7 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smishkewych has done it again!, April 14, 2002

By A Customer

Wolodymyr Smishkewych is the newest force in early vocal music. His interpetations of medieval music have long been legendary at Indiana University but this latest recording with theatre of Voices should thrust him into the international spotlight where he rightly belongs....