G. P. da Palestrina: The Song of Songs

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Palestrina's collection of 29 motets with texts from the Biblical Song of Songs, published in 1584, was prefaced by a dedication to Pope Gregory explaining the nature and purpose of the music: to set texts that "express the divine love of Christ for his spiritual bride." He goes on to explain his use of "a livelier style than in my other sacred compositions." In fact, these works are stylistically and thematically closer to madrigals, with their colorful modes, catchy rhythms, and attention to mood- and word-painting. It's fascinating to hear how Palestrina, one of the greatest composers of sacred music, reconciles these outwardly erotic texts with their profoundly spiritual message. John Rutter's Cambridge Singers choose a light, madrigalesque approach that avoids sentimentality, attends to clear articulation, and never forgets the composer's wish to bring pleasure to his listeners. --David Vernier

Tracks:

Oculetur me
Trahe me
Nigra sum and Vineam meam non custodivi
Si ignoras, Pulchr sunt gen tuae and Fasciculus myrr
Ecce to pulcher es
Tota pulchra es and Vulnerasti cor meum
Sicut lilium inter spinas and Introduxit me rex
Leva ejus
Vox dilecti mei, Surge, propera and Surge, amica mea
Dilectus meus mihi and Surgam et circuibo civitatem
Adjuro vos and Caput ejus
Dilectus meus descendit and Pulchra es
Quae es ista and Descendi in hortum nucum
Quam pulchri sunt
Duo ubera tua
Quam pulchra es and Guttur tuum
Veni, dilecte mi

Amazon.com

Palestrina's collection of 29 motets with texts from the Biblical Song of Songs, published in 1584, was prefaced by a dedication to Pope Gregory explaining the nature and purpose of the music: to set texts that "express the divine love of Christ for his spiritual bride." He goes on to explain his use of "a livelier style than in my other sacred compositions." In fact, these works are stylistically and thematically closer to madrigals, with their colorful modes, catchy rhythms, and attention to mood- and word-painting. It's fascinating to hear how Palestrina, one of the greatest composers of sacred music, reconciles these outwardly erotic texts with their profoundly spiritual message. John Rutter's Cambridge Singers choose a light, madrigalesque approach that avoids sentimentality, attends to clear articulation, and never forgets the composer's wish to bring pleasure to his listeners. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Multi-layered love in song.......2005-09-25

This disc is one of the best of the Cambridge Singers, singing the work of Palestrina, one of the greatest medieval composers. Recorded in 1993 at Lyndhurst Hall, London, the music soars across the ages with a richness almost beyond compare.

--Music--
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina is sometimes called the greatest composer of the Roman Catholic church. Born in 1525 near Rome, he spent the better part of his career in service to the church as a choir member, choir master, conductor, composer and school master. He was sought after by many churches, and sometimes his popularity and skill got him into trouble both with his clerical patrons and with fellow musicians. He was offered prestigious positions in Rome and Vienna which were ultimately withdrawn because Palestrina's salary and conditions requirements were too high. He had some influence on the Council of Trent's musical decisions for reform of the Catholic worship practices, and was involved intimately with revising the Gradual and produced a harmonised version of the Latin Hymnal in 1589. He died in 1594.

According to Rutter, the Song of Songs was popular material at the time for composers, but rare was the composer who developed so much of the material as Palestrina did with 29 motets. It is unclear that Palestrina expected them to be performed as a complete series at once, but `they certainly make an effective whole,' according to Rutter. Given the subject matter, and that Palestrina was also a composer of secular pieces, Rutter includes a preface Palestrina wrote to this composition.

Going through the motets, the pattern starts at SATTB for the first 18, flowing into SAATB for 19-22, SSATB for 23-26, SAATB for 27-28, and coming back full circle to SATTB for the final motet. The first ten motets are done in Dorian mode; the next eight in Myxolydian mode; the next 6 in Phrygian mode, and the final five in Ionian mode. There is a life and love that runs through this music that circles back around on the listener.

--Liner Notes--
The notes for this recording include the titles and words of each motet both in original Latin (modified from the Vulgate by Palestrina) and English translation text. The notes also give modes and patterns for the motets. One thing conspicuously missing is much biographical information about John Rutter, or any descriptive information about the Cambridge Singers. Happily, this disc does have a list of the singers.

--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.

--The Cambridge Singers--
The Cambridge Singers are a mixed choir of voices, many of whom were members of choir of Rutter's college, Clare College, Cambridge. While they specialise in English and Latin liturgical pieces, they have a wide range of recordings that span from modern compositions (including a remarkable requiem by Rutter) to English folk songs of the Middle Ages. Many are former members of the choir of Clare College and other Cambridge collegiate choirs (hence the name, Cambridge Singers). In the quarter-century since the founding, the Cambridge Singers have produced an impressive body of recordings.

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