Rating: 5/5
Review:
Another fine disc from The Cardinall's Musick
The Cardinall's Musick are well established now as one of
the world's truly great ensembles in polyphony, and this growing series of
Tallis discs is among their best work, I think.
They are thoroughly at home in English polyphony (their recordings of
Fayrfax and Ludford are quite wonderful) and they bring some real magic to the
pieces here.
The major work here is the magnificent votive antiphon Salve
Intemerata and the mass based on themes from it. The programme also includes some of the
smaller, more intimate but no less lovely pieces in English required during
Edward VI's short reign and later at the start of Elizabeth's
reign. It's a lovely programme showing
the variety of styles forced upon Tallis by the religious upheavals of the time
and how wonderfully he excelled in all of them.
The singing is fabulous.
I have a real personal love of the Cardinall's Musick's sound: it is
rich and full with wonderfully firm lower voices and a resonance which sometimes
genuinely sends shivers down my spine.
They have a superb technique and a real engagement with the text so this
music really glows with beauty and spirituality. This stands with my much loved Tallis
recordings by The Tallis Scholars, Magnificat, The Taverner Consort and others
– it's a fine addition to their catalogue.
The recorded sound by Hyperion is excellent – full and
resonant but crystal clear – and Andrew Carwood's notes are scholarly and very
readable. It's a superb disc all round
and very warmly recommended.
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