El Misteri d'Elx

El Misteri d'Elx
Drame sacrée en deux parties pour la Fête de l'Assomption de la Vierge
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard, dir.
Virgin "Veritas" 7243 5 45239 2 2 [2 CDs]
Virgin "Veritas x2" 7243 5 62349 2 5 [2 CDs]

Contents:

CD-1 La Vesprá - First day

    Antonio de Cabezón:
  1. Tiento IX (organ)

    2. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  2. Maria: Ay trista vida corporal!

    3. Anon.:
  3. Tres II (organ)

    4. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  4. Angel: Deus vos salve, Verge imperial
  5. Maria: Angel plaente illuminos
  6. Los apostols, assi seran

    7. Antonio de Cabezón:
  7. Dic nobis Maria, Fabordón glosado X (organ)

    8. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  8. Sent Joan: Saluts, honor é saluament
  9. Maria: Ay fill Joan! Si a uos plau
  10. Sent Joan: Ay trista vida corporal!
  11. Sent Pere: Verge humil, flor de honor
  12. Tres Apostols: O poder del alt imperi (3 voices à 3)
  13. Los Apostols: Salue Regina princesa (6 voices à 4)
  14. Sent Pere: O Deu valeu!
  15. Maria: Los meus cars fills
  16. Los Apostols: Oh cos sanct glorificat (4 voices à 4)

    17. Antonio de Cabezón:
  17. Tiento III (organ)

    18. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  18. Los Angels: Esposa e Mare de Deu (4 voices à 4)

CD-2 La Festa - Second day

    Julius de Modena:
  1. Tiento XX (organ)

    2. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  2. Los Apostols: Par nos, germans (3 voices à 3)

    3. Canon Juan Gines Perez (attrib. ?):
  3. Los Apostols: A vosaltres venim pregar (4 voices à 4)

    4. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  4. Sent Pere: Preneu vos, Joan
  5. Sent Joan: De grat prendre

    6. Bernardino (or Antonio) de Ribera (?):
  6. Los Apostols: Flor de virginal bellesa (4 voices à 4)

    7. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  7. Los Apostols: In exitu Israel de Aegypto (9 voices à 3)

    8. Bernardino (or Antonio) de Ribera (?):
  8. Los jueus: Aquesta gran nouetat (9 voices à 3)
  9. Los jueus: Oh Deu Adonay (8 voices à 4)

    10. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  10. Los Apostols: Promens, ieus (3 voices à 3)

    11. Bernardino (or Antonio) de Ribera (?):
  11. Los jueus: Nosaltres tots crehem (4 voices à 3)

    12. Bernardino (or Antonio) de Ribera (?): (adapt. from Quedaos adios (Pedro Escobar - Cancionero musical de Palacio)
  12. Los jueus: Cantem, senyors (9 voices à 3)

    13. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  13. Los Apostols: In exitu Israel de Aegypto (9 voices à 3)

    14. Lluis Vich (?):
  14. Los Apostols: Ans dentrar en sepultura (8 voices à 4)
  15. Los Apostols: In exitu Israel (9 voices à 3)

    16. Antonio de Cabezón:
  16. Ave maris stella I (organ)

    17. Anon., MS Festa d'Elx 1709:
  17. Los Angels: Lleuantaus, Reyna excelent (4 voices à 4)
  18. Sent Tomas: O bes fort desauentura
  19. La Coronació: Vos siau ben arribadfa (3 voices à 3)
  20. Los Apostols: Gloria (9 voices à 3)

    21. Antonio de Cabezón:
  21. Tiento V (organ)

Playing time: 41' 02 + 43' 55"

Performers:
Ensemble Gilles Binchois [Anne-Marie Lablaude (soprano), Brigitte Lesne (mezzo-soprano), Akira Tachikawa (countertenor), Stéphan van Dyck (tenor), Dominique Vellard (tenor), Raphaël Boulay (tenor), Emmanuel Bonnardot (baritone), Philippe Balloy (baritone), Jacques Bona (bass)] & Georges Lartigau (organ) - Dominique Vellard, dir.

Recording site and date:
Cathédrale de Maguelone (Hérault) [10/1995]; (organ) Église abbatiale du Monastier-sur-Gazeille (Haute-Loire) [10/1995];
rel.: 1997 (5 45239 2), 2004 (5 62349 2)

Reviewed in:
Diapason (#-p.):436-126 (april 1997)
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.):
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.): 21/1-344 (september/october 1997)
Goldberg (#-p.): 23-67 (summer 2003)

Comments:
The interpretation is equal to previous recordings: excellent. A deep feeling of intimacy between the listener and the interpretation.

Pierre-F. Roberge

This is a drama in the style of the great medieval mystery plays, principally monophonic but also including polyphonic elaborations. By legend, the material dates to the 13th century and the heart of the medieval dramatic style, but the stylistic traits date it to the 15th century (i.e. Renaissance) at the earliest. Possibly some melodies do survive from a medieval layer. The oldest surviving sources date only from the 17th century, and some polyphonic items strongly recall the style of Victoria.

The present performance adopts a clearly Renaissance style, by including organ works of Cabezón and basing vocal ornamentation styles on Ortiz. Some composers are named in the 1639 manuscript fragment: Canon Perez (1548-c.1612) for CD2#3; "Ribera" for CD2#6, #8, #9, #11, #12 (an adaptation of a piece by Pedro de Escobar); Luis Vich (fl.1562-1584) for CD2#14. Most tracks are performed by a single voice, except as given.

Other recordings:

Homenatge al Misteri d'Elx
Drama sagrat per la Festa de l'Assumpció de la Verge
La Capella Reial de Catalunya - Jordi Savall
Alia Vox 9836
El Misterio de Elche
Capilla del Misterio de Elche - Gines Roman
Hispavox 65407 [LPx2]
Misterio de Elche
Liturgical drama in 2 acts, sung in old valencian
L. Stevens, E. Clark, Y. Tinayre with Chorus - John Motley, cond.
Norleen Sound Service [LPx2]
Misteri d'Elx
Drama en dos partes para la fiesta de la Asunción de la Virgen María
Capella de Ministrers - Carles Magraner
Licanus "Capella de Ministrers" 0304
La Festa "O Misteri d'Elx"
Versiones del Consueta de 1709 y actual
V. Ros, Coro de Cámara Luis Vich y Escolanía Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados - Luis Carrido
ATI-Discos 0011
La Festa "O Misteri d'Elx"
Capilla del Misteri d'Elx - Manuel Ramos
RTVE 65031

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Todd M. McComb