Tomas Luis De Victoria: Responsories For Tenebrae

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The contrast of these solemn texts with the very high, very young- sounding boys' voices gives a strangely ethereal quality to the music. Victoria wrote his 18 Responsories to be performed in three sets, according to Church custom, during the services of Holy Week. The music would not have been heard straight through as we have it on this recording, but its presentation in this form allows us to fully appreciate its unified construction and emotional impact. Except for some overexuberant singing from the tenors in the "Tenebrae factae sunt" section and occasional loss of blend in the trebles, this is a delightful, atmospheric recording. It sets the proper mood for Victoria's thoughtful, reverent, and moving accompaniment to these all-important observances in the liturgy of the Christian Church. --David Vernier

Tomas Luis De Victoria: Responsories For Tenebrae, Music, Tomas Luis de Victoria, David Hill, Westminster Cathedral Choir, Chamber Music & Recitals, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Renaissance Motet

Average customer rating:

Solemn, Passionate, Sacred Renaissance Music by Victoria for Holy Week and Easter

Outstanding!

Victoria: Responsories for Tenabrae

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium IV: Amicus Meus
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium V: Iudas Mercator Pessimus
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VI: Unus Ex Discipulis Meis
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VII: Eram Quasi Agnus
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VIII: Una Hora
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium IX: Seniores Populi
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium IV: Tamquam Ad Latronem
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium V: Tenebrae Factae Sunt
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VI: Animam Meam Dilectam
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VII: Tradiderunt Me
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VIII: Iesum Traditit Impius
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium IX: Caligaverunt Oculi Mei
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium IV: Recessit Pastor Noster
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium V: O Vos Omnes
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VI: Ecce Quomodo Moritur
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VII: Astiterunt Reges
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium VIII: Aestimatus Sum
Responsories for Tenabrae: Responsorium IX: Sepulto Domino

Amazon.com

The contrast of these solemn texts with the very high, very young- sounding boys' voices gives a strangely ethereal quality to the music. Victoria wrote his 18 Responsories to be performed in three sets, according to Church custom, during the services of Holy Week. The music would not have been heard straight through as we have it on this recording, but its presentation in this form allows us to fully appreciate its unified construction and emotional impact. Except for some overexuberant singing from the tenors in the "Tenebrae factae sunt" section and occasional loss of blend in the trebles, this is a delightful, atmospheric recording. It sets the proper mood for Victoria's thoughtful, reverent, and moving accompaniment to these all-important observances in the liturgy of the Christian Church. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Solemn, Passionate, Sacred Renaissance Music by Victoria for Holy Week and Easter.......2007-04-07

Every Holy Week I listen to the Tenebrae Responsories by the great Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), which are so appropriate for this most solemn (and ultimately joyous) season on the Christian calendar. This 1987 Hyperion recording by the Westminster Cathedral Choir under David Hill is a particularly fine one, eclipsed only by the legendary 1959 Decca recording by the Westminster Cathedral Choir under George Malcolm, reissued more than once on the London label.

Outstanding!.......2001-09-11

I don't know how to put this in words. I never knew this composer existed before hearing this cd but I will be doing some research to find out more. This is a beautiful, powerfull experience. The recording is simply outstanding. Remarkable clarity and presence. Thank you, Hyperion!

Average customer rating:

The Best
lugubrious and pensive
The recording to buy

Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories

Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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O Quam Gloriosum
Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories
Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons
Victoria: Requiem - Officium defunctorum (1605) / McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort
Jesus of Nazareth

ASIN: B000005GNH
Release Date: 2005-07-14

Tracks:

Maundy Thursday: Second Nocturn: I. Amicus Meus Osculi - Infelix Pratermisit - Bonum Erat Illi
Maundy Thursday: Second Nocturn: II. Iudas mercator pessimus - Denariorum - Melius Illi Erat
Maundy Thursday: Second Nocturn: III. Unus Ex Discipulis Meis - Melius Illi Erat - Qui Intingit
Maundy Thursday: Third Nocturn: I. Eram Quasi Agnus - Venite - Omnes Inimici Mei
Maundy Thursday: Third Nocturn: II. Una Hora- Vel Iundam - Quid Dormitis
Maundy Thursday: Third Nocturn: III. Seniores Populi - Ut Iesum - Collegerunt Pontifices
Good Friday: Second Nocturn: I. Tamquam Ad Latronem - Quotidie - Cumque
Good Friday: Second Nocturn: II. Tenebrae Factae Sunt - Et Inclinato Capite - Exclamans Iesus
Good Friday: Second Nocturn: III. Animam Meam Dilectam - Quia Non Est Inventus - Insurrexerunt
Good Friday: Third Nocturn: I. Tradiderunt Me - Et Sicut Gigantes - Alieni Insurrexerunt
Good Friday: Third Nocturn: II. Iesum TradiditImpius - Petrus Autem - Adduxerunt
Good Friday: Third Nocturn: III. Caligaverunt Oculi Mei - Si Est Dolor - O Vos Omnes
Holy Saturday: Second Nocturn: I. Recessit Pastor Noster - Nam Et Ille - Destruxit
Holy Saturday: Second Noctrun: II. O Vos Omens - Si Est Dolor - Attendite
Holy Saturday: Second Noctrun: III. Ecce Quomodo Moritur - Et Erit in Pace - Tamquam Agnus
Holy Saturday: Third Nocturn: I. Astiterunt Reges - Adversus Dominum - Quare Fremuerunt
Holy Saturday: Third Nocturn: II. Aestinmatus Sum - Factus Sum - Posuerunt Me
Holy Saturday: Third Nocturn: III. Sepulto Domino - Ponentes Milites - Accedentes

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2002-03-09

I can add nothing, but only agree with the other two reviewers. This is profound and moving, beautifully performed and recorded.

lugubrious and pensive.......2000-12-03

From the fabric of an institution that brought us the Spanish
Inquisition and bestowed upon many generations a distorted view of
sexuality, comes a magnificent masterpiece with profound emotional
insight. Even if at times it amounts to nothing other than the
Church's mellifluous baying for the blood of Judas.

This setting of
the Tenebrae Responsories has been recorded by several choirs over the
last few decades. One needs to compare this recording by The Sixteen
(1991) with others to gain some insight into the power of this
Renaissance masterpiece. No choir has been able to capture the dark,
brooding, vigorous, passionate mysticism of the Spanish
Counterreformation as did the Westminster Cathedral Choir under George
Malcolm (1960). This particular recording will always remain an
essential part of my discography. The choir recorded this work again
in 1989 with more sedate, but equally satisfying, tempi. However, both
recordings suffer from the unauthorized eighteenth century habit of
scoring two of the responsories for men's voices only. The recording
of the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge (Richard Marlow, 1990)
includes only the first three responsories of each of the Triduum. It
infuses a hitherto unheard diaphonous texture into many of the
passages, and underscores the incredible word-painting produced by
Victoria, such as during " ... ipse est, tenete eum ..."
(Responsium IV, second nocturn). The recording by the Tallis Scholars
(also 1990) is unexpectedly disappointing - despite the perfectly
judged emotions and sonorous voices, the acoustics are more suited to
a radio talk show than the setting for a Holy Week liturgy.

The
Sixteen produced a wonderful recording of the responsories. The sound
and microphone setup could not be better. In many aspects it reminds
me of the Pro Cantione Antiqua recording (Bruno Turner, 1979), but
without the sparseness produced by recording with only one singer per
voice. The responsories do not respond to this type of minimalist
treatment. With The Sixteen, the searing metallic edge to the soprano
voices combined with a rich bass produce a very satisfying effect:
along with almost perfect diction, these impart a lugubrious and
deeply pensive air to the responsories. Listen to this recording by
candlelight.

The recording to buy.......2000-06-10

I like to start these reviews with a few words about the music on the recording and then move on to the particulars of the recording itself. The pieces here are written for Holy Week services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The texts describe the events leading up to and following Christ's crucifixion. Victoria's settings are profoundly moving - but in truth it is hard to adequately describe these pieces and the effects they have. If you read my other reviews, you'll notice that "contemplation" and "devotion" are words I use quite often. I think they are essential to the interpretation and performance of the sacred works of the Renaissance genre. The intense personal spirituality of the composer is expressed in these compositions (and others of this calibre), and must be allowed to reflect itself in the performance. Several recordings of the Tenebrae pieces compete for attention: the Westminster Cathedral choir, The Sixteen, the Tallis Scholars, and others have recorded them. I am only directly familiar with this recording and that done by the Tallis Scholars (refer to my comments on that recording). I prefer this one for a number of reasons - one is the acoustical quality. The microphones are evidently distant from the singers here and the effect is good - quiet passages seem mystical and more full voiced ones do not sound strained (as in the Tallis Scholars recording). On interpretive level, the singing here preserves much better the spirit of these pieces - the Tallis Scholars sing with what is best described as a "glossy eyed chill" (I borrowed that term from another review on Amazon.com). This recording captures that sense of mystery and contemplation that the Tallis Scholars miss. I have not heard the Westminster recording but I can offer this advice - tuning and balance is often a problem with that group, but the acoustics of the cathedral are exquisite and their artistic approach is usually good - they are likely to do a similar job representing the proper sense of the music as The Sixteen do here. This recording is highly recommeded.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Performance of Superb Music
Responding to the music
Mis-direction
Masterpiece from Victoria - by all means buy this!

Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories
Tomas Luis de Victoria , Tallis Scholars , and Peter Phillips
Manufacturer: Gimell UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005ATDA
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Tracks:

Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Maundy Thursday: Amicus Meus - Tessa Bonner
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Maundy Thursday: Iudas Mercator Pessimus - Ruth Holton
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Maundy Thursday: Unus Ex Discipulis Meis - Charles Daniels
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Maundy Thursday: Eram Quasi Agnus - Nicolas Robertson
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Maundy Thursday: Una Hora - Charles Daniels
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Maundy Thursday: Seniores Populi - Robert Harre-Jones
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Good Friday: Tamquam Ad Latronem - Tessa Bonner
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Good Friday: Tenebrae Factae Sunt - Ruth Holton
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Good Friday: Animam Meam Dilectam - Charles Daniels
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Good Friday: Tradiderunt Me - Nicolas Robertson
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Good Friday: Iesum Tradidit Impius - Ruth Holton
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Good Friday: Caligaverunt Oculi Me - Charles Daniels
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Holy Saturday: Recessit Pastor Noster - Nicolas Robertson
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Holy Saturday: O Vos Omnes - Tessa Bonner
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Holy Saturday: Ecce Quomodo Moritur - Charles Daniels
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Holy Saturday: Astiterunt Reges - Charles Daniels
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Holy Saturday: Aestimatus Sum - Tessa Bonner
Tenebrae Responsories: Matins Responsories For Holy Saturday: Sepulto Domino - Charles Daniels

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Performance of Superb Music.......2005-02-16

These responses for the late night/early morning services of Holy Week are truly masterpieces and The Tallis Scholars perform them effectively. When the music calls for subdued performance, the Tallis Scholars are subdued-When it calls for angry performance, the Tallis Scholars are angry, etc. This is the perfect recording to put you in the mood for Holy Week--to truly contemplate the sorrows. The music, produced by the Spanish Rennaissance, is truly surperior and so unique to most everything else. This is a great buy!

Responding to the music.......2004-07-13

St. Teresa of Avila, Velasquez and El Greco were all contemporaries of Victoria - the associations and influences are very similar, and worth further exploration.

--Tenebrae Responsories--
Together with the Requiem (also recorded brilliantly by the Tallis Scholars), this piece sets the reputation of Victoria as a composer of note. Tenebrae Responsories are part of the traditional liturgical cycle during Holy Week - in Victoria's time, the Roman Catholic Church would have these, Lamentations, Jeremiah, and other means to work toward increasing sorrow and darkness as the world approached Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The Responsories here would not have been sung as a set, but rather divided as appropriate among several services. They are extreme in simplicity - Victoria doesn't let the musical settings overpower the words, which are very important for setting mood here. Victoria complements the words. The music alternates between solos and duets to four-voice parts, rarely expanding beyond this.

--Liner Notes--
Being internationally acclaimed, the Tallis Scholars' CDs typically present their commentary and texts in English, French, German and Italian (together with any Latin texts); that is true of this disc. The cover art also typically represents visual arts contemporary with the compositions - here it is the 'Veil of St. Veronica', by Francisco de Zurbaran, who was roughly a contemporary of Tomas Luis deVictoria.

--The Tallis Scholars--
The Tallis Scholars, a favourite group of mine since the first time I heard them decades ago, 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, their singing seems almost like a spiritual epiphany for me, one that defies explanation in words. Directed by Peter Phillips, the group consists of a small number of male and female singers who have trained themselves well to their task.

Their recordings are of a consistent quality that deserve more than five stars; this particular disc of pieces by Victoria deserves a place on the shelf of anyone who loves choral music, liturgical music or Gregorian chant, classical music generally, or religious music. It is fascinating. The music on this disc was originally recorded in 1990 at the Church of St. John at Hackney, London.

Mis-direction.......2002-06-29

Though graced by superb voices, this CD is a demonstration of Philips' tendency toward questionable musicianship. Bizarre part registrations and terrible intra-ensemble balance often conspire to completely obliterate Victoria's carefully crafted polyphony and undermine some remarkable sonorities. As someone who's performed several of the responsories I was disappointed by a seeming lack of interpretive uniformity. Thought it presents a unique and interesting performance, I woud recommend this not be the only recording of Victoria's Tenebrae Responsories in anyone's collection.

Masterpiece from Victoria - by all means buy this!.......2001-12-28

This is, as far as I know, the best recording of the Tenebrae Responsories from Victoria. The Tallis Scholars sing them with clarity; although I am a trained musician and use the scores while listening these pieces, I think every person can perceive the clear structure, the articulation and the melody of each one of the four voices. Recommended!

Victoria: Lamentations; Tenebrae Responsories

Average customer rating:

Responding to the music...

Victoria: Lamentations; Tenebrae Responsories
Richard Marlow
Manufacturer: Conifer
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000024DB
Release Date: 1994-10-05

Customer Reviews:

Responding to the music..........2005-10-19

--Tomas Luis de Victoria--
Often considered the greatest of the Spanish composers, Tomas Luis de Victoria (Italianised as Tommaso Luigi da Vittoria) was born in Avila in 1549. He was trained in church music as he trained for the priesthood with the Jesuits; one of his teachers may have been the great Palestrina in Rome. He was ordained in Rome by the last pre-Reformation English Catholic bishop in Rome. He served in various music and clerical positions under papal auspices in Italy before returning to his native Spain in the late 1500s. His music incorporates the mystical sense of religion as well as the strong church-music traditions. He died in Madrid in 1611.

St. Teresa of Avila, Velasquez and El Greco were all contemporaries of Victoria - the associations and influences are very similar, and worth further exploration.

--Tenebrae Responsories--
Together with the Requiem (also recorded brilliantly by the Tallis Scholars), this piece sets the reputation of Victoria as a composer of note. Tenebrae Responsories are part of the traditional liturgical cycle during Holy Week - in Victoria's time, the Roman Catholic Church would have these, Lamentations, Jeremiah, and other means to work toward increasing sorrow and darkness as the world approached Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The Responsories here would not have been sung as a set, but rather divided as appropriate among several services. They are extreme in simplicity - Victoria doesn't let the musical settings overpower the words, which are very important for setting mood here. Victoria complements the words. The music alternates between solos and duets to four-voice parts, rarely expanding beyond this.

The performance here is done by the Pro Cantione Antiqua, led by Bruce Turner. The Pro Cantione Antiqua have had an extensive recording and performing history, with great experience in the kind of chant, polyphony and Renaissance style that this work by Victoria calls for. Turner states that in a Renaissance setting, 'music is not something fixed by the written note but something to be recreated rather than reproduced.' There is a free-flowing quality to this performance that gives an interesting interpretation to these magnificent pieces, somber and sorrowful, but still with an element of hope.

Tomás Luis De Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories (Chants For The Holy Week)

Average customer rating:

Responding to the music...

Tomás Luis De Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories (Chants For The Holy Week)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B000001TWM
Release Date: 1992-12-03

Customer Reviews:

Responding to the music..........2005-10-19

Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories - for Maundy Thursday, for Good Friday, and for Holy Saturday

Average customer rating:

Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories - for Maundy Thursday, for Good Friday, and for Holy Saturday

Manufacturer: Virgin
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00004SLL1
Release Date: 1992-09-23

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