Palestrina: Canticum canticorum, Spritual Madrigals

Palestrina: Canticum canticorum: Motets Book IV / Spiritual Madrigals
Hilliard Ensemble - Paul Hillier
EMI Reflexe 49010 (2 CDs)
Virgin Veritas Edition 61168 (2 CDs)
Virgin 562 239 (2 CDs)

Contents:

    Canticum canticorum

  1. Osculetur me
  2. Trahe me
  3. Nigra sum
  4. Vineam meam non custodivi
  5. Si ignoras
  6. Pulchrae sunt genae ruae
  7. Fas ciculus myrrae
  8. Ecce tu pulchre es
  9. Tota pulchra es
  10. Vulnerasti cor meum
  11. Sicut lilium inter spinas
  12. Introduxit me Rex
  13. Laeua ejus
  14. Vox dilecti mei
  15. Surge, propera
  16. Surge, anima mea
  17. Dilectus meus mihi
  18. Surgam et circuibo civitatem
  19. Adjuro vos
  20. Caput ejus
  21. Dilectus meus descendit
  22. Pulchra es
  23. Quae es ista
  24. Descendi in hortum nucum
  25. Quam pulchri sunt
  26. Duo ubera tua
  27. Quam pulchra es
  28. Guttur tuum
  29. Veni, dilecte mi

    30. Spiritual Madrigals

  30. Deh, hor foss'io col gao della luna
  31. S'il dissi mai, ch'io veng'in odio a quella
  32. Nessun visse giamai più di me lieto
  33. La ver l'aurora che sì dolce l'aura
  34. Amor, fortuna e la mia mente schiva
  35. Ne spero i dolci dì tornin'indietro
  36. Vaghi pensier che così passo passo
  37. Mentre ch'al mar descenderanno i fiumi

Performers: Gillian Fisher, Lynne Dawson, David James, Michael Chance, Rogers Covey-Crump, John Potter, Paul Hillier, Michael George

Playing time: 106'

Recording date: November 1984

The Spiritual Madrigals form the latter third of the release; these are the most highly regarded of Palestrina's secular compositions, on texts by Petrarch. They form part of the first book of madrigals. The Canticum canticorum (Song of Songs) is a large publication of motets (Palestrina's 4th book).

A similar program:

Palestrina: Le Vergini - Spiritual Madrigals / Missa Ave Regina caelorum
Ensemble Officium - Wilfried Rombach
Christophorus 77236

Another older issue featuring some of these motets:

Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli / Canticum Canticorum
Vienna Motet Choir - Bernhard Klebel
Christophorus Entrée 0106

Some other Renaissance recordings devoted to motets from the Canticum Canticorum:

Canticum Canticorum
In Praise of Love: The Song of Songs in the Renaissance
Capilla Flamenca - Dirk Snellings
Eufoda 1359
Canticum Canticorum
Morales / Guerrero / Ceballos / Victoria / Vivanco / Févin / Gombert
Orchestra of the Renaissance - Richard Cheetham & Michael Noone
Glossa 921403
Hohelied
Motetten der Italienischen Rennaissance
Isaak Ensemble Heidelberg
Christophorus 4005

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Todd M. McComb