Rating: 4/5
Review:
A welcome reissue
I'm glad to see this disc (originally from 1994)
reissued. It is an interesting take on
one of the best-known pieces in the repertoire, and it's good to have some more
of Allegri's work available – even if it isn't terrifically inspiring.
The principal interest here is in the two versions of Gregorio
Allegri's famous setting of the 51st Psalm, known as
"Miserere". The first is quite
a revelation, with Baroque ornamentation rather than the more familiar version
with the stratospheric treble/soprano notes which probably date from the
Sistine Chapel's original ornamentation practice. It's rather lovely, even if it is a bit of a
shock to the system. A Sei Voci also
sing the more familiar version to close the disc. They take both very slowly compared with
other modern recordings like The Tallis Scholars and the Sixteen which can feel
a little funereal at times, but they're well sung.
The rest of the music is a mass setting and three motets,
also by Allegri, which – to me anyway – aren't all that interesting. They're perfectly decent works, but compared
to many of the wonderful music by famous composers like Josquin, Byrd or
Palestrina, or the fabulous stuff by obscure composers unearthed more recently
by ensembles like Cinquecento and The Brabant Ensemble, it seems pretty
uninspiring. It is redeemed a good deal
by the performances, though. I haven't
always got on with A Sei Voci's performances in the past (their Josquin
recordings in particular) but here they sing beautifully, with a lovely, richly
textured sound and genuine engagement with the text.
I certainly wouldn't recommend this as the best recording of
Allegri's Miserere (for me, that's still The Tallis Scholars' 1980 recording)
but it's a very interesting disc which I can recommend.
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