Morales: Requiem

Cristóbal de Morales
Officium Defunctorum / Missa Pro Defunctis
La Capella Reial da Catalunya / Hespèrion XX - Jordi Savall
Astrée (Auvidis) « El Siglo de Oro » E 8765 [CD]
Astrée (Naïve) "Musica Iberica " ES 9926 [CD]

Contents:

    Officium Defunctorum

    Ad Matutinum
  1. Circumdederunt me gemitus mortis

    2. Invitatorium
  2. Regem cui omnia vivunt
    Psalmus 94: Venite, exultemus Domino

    3. In Primo Nocturno
  3. Versiculum: A porta inferi
    Lectio I [Job 7, 16-21]: Parce mihi Domine
  4. Lectio II [Job 10, 1-7]: Taedet animam meam vitae
  5. Lectio III [Job 10, 8-12]: Manus tuas

    6. In Secundo Nocturno
  6. Versiculum: Collocet eos cum principibus
    Responsorium III: Ne recorderis

    7. Missa pro defunctis a 5

  7. Introitus
  8. Kyrie
  9. Graduale
  10. Sequentia
  11. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe V. Hostias et preces
  12. Sanctus
  13. Benedictus
  14. Agnus Dei
  15. Communio: Lux aeterna V. Requiem aeternam

Performers:
La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Jean-Louis Commoretto (counter-tenor), Paolo Costa (counter-tenor), Josep Ma Gregori (counter-tenor), Jean-Yvres Guerry (counter-tenor), Lambert Climent (tenor), Francesc Garrigosa (tenor), Pedro Ormazábal (tenor), Pere Pou (tenor), Josep Cabré (baritone), Jordi Ricart (baritone) Victor Alonso (baritone), Josep Miquel Ramon (baritone), Daniele Carnovich (bass), Joan Puigdellívol (bass)
Hespèrion XX
Jordi Savall (treble viol), Sergi Casademunt (alto viol), Eunice Brandão (alto viol), Sergi Casademunt (tenor viol), Laurence Bonnal (bass viol), Lorenz Duftschmid (bass viol), Alberto Rasi (violone), Jean-Pierre Canihac (cornet), Daniel Lasalle (tenor sackbut), Richart Cheetham (alto sackbut), Bernard Fourtet (serpent), Josep Borras (bassoon), Guido Morini (organ)
Jordi Savall, dir.

Playing time: 72' 30

Recording site and date:
Colegiata del Castillo de Cardona (Cataluña) [09, 11/1991];
Rel.: 1992 (E), 11/30/1999 (ES)

Compilation:
Fontalis (Naïve) ES 9916 [CDx3] Musica Sacra (aka: Maestros del Siglo de Oro): Cristóbal de Morales – Francisco Guerrero – Tomás Luis de Victoria

Excerpts:
[3]-[4] Alia Vox AV 9861 [CD] Invocation à la nuit - Música Notturno
[4] Fontalis (Auvidis) ES 9902 [CD] Vox Æterna: XIème siècle - XVIIIème siècle
[8] Fontalis (Auvidis) "Portrait" ES 9906 [CD] Offertorium - La Capella Reial de Catalunya
[?: Pie Jesus] Astrée (Auvidis) E 8500 [CD] España - Anthologie de la Musique espagnole - Anthology of Spanish Music
[?: Pie Jesus] Astrée (Auvidis) E 8600 [CDx7] España XVe-XXe - Six siècles de musique espagnole

Reviewed in:
Diapason (#-p.): 385-156 (september 1992)
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.): 16/4- (March / April 1993)

Comments:
Information from CD.

Pierre-F. Roberge

Cristóbal de Morales (c.1500-1553) is usually accorded first place among Spanish composers of the mid-16th century. This disc presents two of his most famous settings, in restrained and somber vocal & instrumental performance.

Other recordings of related programs:

Morales: Requiem / Music for Philip II
Gabrieli Consort - Paul McCreesh
Archiv 457 597
Morales: Missa pro Defunctis / Motets
Laudantes Consort - Guy Janssens
Arsonor 006
Morales: Requiem
Musica Ficta - Raúl Mallavibarrena
Enchiriadis 2002
Morales: Office des Ténèbres
Doulce Mémoire - Denis Raisin Dadre
Naïve Astrée 8878

A few other recordings devoted to Morales:

Morales: Missa Mille regretz / Magnificat
Hilliard Ensemble
Almaviva 0101
Morales: Missa Si bona suscepimus
Tallis Scholars - Peter Phillips
Gimell 033
Morales: Assumption Mass
Orchestra of the Renaissance - Richard Cheetham
Glossa 921404
Music for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Chapelle du Roi - Alistair Dixon
Signum 019
Morales: Missa de Beata Virgine
Ensemble Jacques Moderne - Joël Suhubiette
Ligia Digital 020 2102
Morales: Missa de Beata Virgine & Motets
Ensemble Jachet de Mantua
Calliope 9363
Virgo Maria
Morales: Dialogue Motets
Consortium Carissimi - Vittorio Zanon
Gaudeamus 343
Morales: Sacred Music
Freiburger Vokalensemble / Instrumental-ensemble "Ludus venti" Köln - Wolfgang Schäfer
Christophorus 74561
Morales: Missa Queramus cum pastoribus
Westminster Cathedral Choir - James O'Donnell
Hyperion 66635

A related recording by La Capella Reial da Catalunya, of music by Morales' younger contemporary, Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599):

Guerrero: Sacrae Cantiones
La Capella Reial da Catalunya / Hespèrion XX - Jordi Savall
Astrée 8766

And the other recording in this series, devoted to Victoria:

Victoria: Cantica Beatae Virginis
La Capella Reial da Catalunya / Hespèrion XX - Jordi Savall
Astrée 8767

These three recordings (including the present one) have been reissued as a set:

Musica Sacra
Morales / Guerrero / Victoria
La Capella Reial, Hespèrion XX - Jordi Savall
Fontalis 9916

Finally, a couple of recordings devoted to a more obscure Spanish contemporaries, in large-scale settings:

Vásquez: Agenda Defunctorum
Capilla Peñaflorida - Josep Cabré
Almaviva 0122
Escobedo: Missa Philippus Rex Hispaniæ
A Sei Voci / Les Sacqueboutiers de Toulouse / Choeur Philippus Rex Hispaniæ - Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Astrée 8640

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb