The Old Hall Manuscript - English Music c1410-1415 -- The Hilliard Ensemble (1997)

Posted By : wdilbert | Date : 09 Dec 2011 19:03:43 | Comments : 5 |

“

The Hilliard Ensemble have rendered a major service to early music by producing this most enjoyable recording of an exceptional repertoire: indeed, the Old Hall Manuscript is the major source of early fifteenth-century English sacred music. The manuscript is organized in a logical sequence, presenting groups of settings of the Ordinary of the Mass: the Glorias, some liturgical antiphons, the Credo settings followed by Sanctus and Agnus settings and finally motets incorporating the last response, Deo gratias. The selection on this recording adheres in the main to this plan, adding, by way of contrast, four relevant chant settings of Marian antiphons. Both choice and performance reflect the lively talent and creativity of a group of composers unlikely to be familiar to the general public.

One, named Forest, is a particularly exciting discovery, represented here by two delightful pieces, my favourite being Quails est dilectus. The Hilliard sing pieces like this gently and sensitively, with restrained rubato at cadences; and also examples of English descant style, such as the short Pia mater (Anon.), or Byttering's Christmas antiphon Nesciens mater, with its quasi mystical flavour. Pycard's Gloria, on the other hand, is scintillating with its rapid, imitative entries, and Leonel Power's Credo exhilarating with its crisp, incisive rhythms. Pennard's Credo is characterized by the fresh articulation of the top two voices and by the lively hocketing in the "Amen".

Occasionally the speed appears excessive for liturgical use, however enjoyable! The Hilliard produce a tone and a blend all of their own, well removed from the 'cathedral' sound but hardly the 'barbaric' sound sought after by some earlymusic groups. They follow the meaning of the text with care and sympathy, singing with feeling as well as technique—"cum corde", precisely as professional singers were urged to sing in Matheus de Sancto Johanne's Are post libamina (not "accompanied by string instruments", as mistranslated in the insert-notes and in the HughesBent Edition). Paul Hillier's introduction is readable and informative. It ends with a sad little note announcing that this recording is his swan-song with the ensemble. The public owes him a debt of gratitude for a splendid series of recordings.

M.B. Gramophone

”

EAC Log

_TRACKS_

1. Queldryk: Gloria
2. Anon: Pia mater
3. Nesciens mater (plainchant)
4. Bittering: Nesciens mater
5. Thomas(?) Damett: Beata Dei genitrix
6. Pycard (Thomas Pycharde?): Gloria
7. Leonel Power: Credo
8. Bittering: En Katerine solennia
9. Pennard: Credo
10. Beata progenies (plainchant)
11. Leonel Power: Beata progenies
12. Anon: Sanctus
13. Ave regina (plainchant)
14. J(ohn) Cooke: Ave regina
15. Leonel Power: Sanctus
16. Anon: Agnus Dei (a 3)
17. (John?) Forest: Qualis est dilectus
18. Oliver: Agnus Dei
19. Alma redemptoris mater (plainchant)
20. (John?) Forest: Ascendit Christus
21. Anon: Agnus Dei
22. Mayshuet (Matheus de Sancto Johanne): Are post libamina
23. J(ohn) Cooke: Stella celi
24. Thomas(?) Damett: Salve porta paradisi
25. Anon: Post missarum solennia (a 4)

The Hilliard Ensemble:
David James, countertenor
Ashley Stafford, countertenor
Rogers Covey-Crump, tenor
John Potter, tenor
Mark Padmore, tenor
Paul Hillier, baritone
Gordon Jones, baritone

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Posted By: alekdov Date: 09 Dec 2011 21:10:04

Great share, many thanks!

Posted By: Borgia Date: 09 Dec 2011 23:44:03

Thank you very much!!!

Posted By: FIboreka Date: 10 Dec 2011 06:54:09

Thank you!

Posted By: jvajda Date: 11 Dec 2011 12:05:16

Excellent recording, thanks a lot

Posted By: Tuckertje Date: 16 Dec 2011 06:30:11

Thanks very much for this early Christmas present! :)

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