Performers: Elizabeth Franklin-Kitchen, Sally Dunkley, Clare Dawson, Sarah Blood, Ian Aitkinhead, Stephen Taylor, David Clegg, Benjamin Rayfield, Nicholas Todd, Edward Gardner, Matthew Beale, Eamonn Dougan, Adam Green, Francis Brett, Nigel Brooks, Giles Underwood
Playing time: 78'41
Recording date: May 1998
The present program offers a guess at some of the music for the Royal Exequies of Philip II on October 18th, 1598. The Missa pro defunctis of Jean Richafort (c.1480-c.1547) matches a description in a surviving service order, which calls for 'the Mass of the dead...of Circumdederunt for six voices.' The Requiem employs a canon throughout with the Circumdederunt chant (a device of Josquin), and quotes as well from Josquin's chansons Nimphes nappés and Faulte d'argente (in the latter case borrowing the text "C'est douleur non pareille" as well as the melody!); these factors seem to indicate that the mass is a tribute to Josquin. Since Richafort's Requiem does not conform exactly to late 16th-century liturgical usage, the service order also mentions that a Tract and Gradual by Guerrero are to be sung (on the present recording, these are taken from his second Requiem setting, published in 1582).
Some other recordings dedicated to Philip II:
Other recordings of the Requiem:
And a couple of other mass cycles by Richafort:
To purchasing information for this disc.
To FAQ references to this recording.
To FAQ CD index page.
Ted Dumitrescu