Phisohex™ & Phisoderm™

A Avila in Madrid (prima pars)

Victoria 1. Pro Victoria

Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)

1. Sequentia: Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Missa Pro Victoria
2. Kyrie

3. Gloria

4. Credo
5. Sanctus & Benedictus
6. Agnus Dei

7. Psalmo: Super flumina Babylonis

Missa pro Defunctis
8. Introitus
9. Kyrie
10. Graduale
11 Offertorium
12. Sanctus & Benedictus
13. Agnus Dei
14. Communio

15. Responsorium: Libera me
16. Responsorium: Peccantem me quotidie
17. Responsorium: Credo quod Redemptor

Ensemble Plus Ultra - Michael Noone
Archiv Produktion (The Golden Age) 2008
77'20

When in 1587, Luis de Victoria-Tome universal Avila and arguably the greatest English composer of all time- returns to Madrid after spending 20 years in Rome, where he studied (very possibly under the command of the great Palestrina) and a professor in the Collegium Germanicum , which would later be appointed maestro di cappella , succeeding himself in office Palestrina (some argue that proposed by the master himself) - had spent much of his life and had already established an important part of corpus composition, however, far from settling in, the teacher, who in Madrid he served as chaplain and choirmaster of Royal Convent of the Poor Clares , followed by creating and editing various publications of his sacred works-no composed secular music, remember.
Thus, the period of Victoria Madrid is one of the most prolific and important of his life, but perhaps the least served by the performers over the years. Hence the Ensemble Plus Ultra and director Michael Noone , with the sponsorship and auspices of the Fundación Caja Madrid , through his series record The Golden Age, and the edition by the well-known stamp Archiv Produktion, have raised this series of ten albums that give a good account of this period in Victoria in Madrid, and the publication of some works of other periods, but have not been previously recorded in the same way that some later and revised editions of singularity important.
Thus, the UPR has spent about 60 days, between 2008 and 2009, to record ten albums, which are being published regularly since 2008 and will end in 2011, taking advantage of the anniversary Victorian and 10 th anniversary of the creation of this English side. In those ten CDs will be given a good account of 90 pieces from the catalog of genius, in which 42 players participated, including the components of the set itself, as well as other guests, including English organist Andrés Cea , all minstrels Sagbutts and His Majestys Cornetts or set of English plainsong Schola Antiqua, directed by Juan Carlos Asensio.
discs have been recorded from Spain, Church of San Pedro, Tordesillas, the Collegiate Church of San Pedro, Lerma (yes, the one where the Gabrieli Consort recorded this wonderful album ), both with important historic organs, and England-St. Georges's Church, Chesterton, Cambridge and S t. Judes-on-the-hill, London.

For the premiere of this series have been recorded two masses of Avila and some loose pieces.
In this first volume is clear compositional evolution of the teacher and shows both the road that will pass this series.
From the collection of pieces from 1598, but published in 1600:

Thomae Ludovici De Victoria. Caesare Sacrae Abulensis

maiestatis Chaplaincy
Missae, Magnificat, Motecta, Psalmi, et alia quam Plurimo. Quae
Octonis partim, Nonis alia, alia Duodenis vocibus
concinuntur.
[HAEC omnia sunt in hoc ad pulsandum
book in organisms.] Permissu superiorum,
Matriti

anno Ex Regia M. Typography DC. Apud

Ioannem Flandrum.
MDC.

sequence have been selected Veni, Sancte Spiritus , which actually is a motet that a sequence and is composed of 8 parts by double chorus, clearly jubilant style, the Missa pro Victoria , Mass Battle - "that gave great pleasure to the King our Lord" (Philip III, of course) - to 9 parts ( svperivs, svperivs, svperivs, altvs, altvs, tenor, tenor, bassvs, bassvs ), also double choir (SSATB / SATB) and composed on the famous Victoria La Guerre , Clément Janequin. It is a curious work, it is the only Victoria designed to 9 parts and also includes organ that accompanies the first chorus. In it are also great variation in the treatment of lines, so we can find imitative, homophony, reduction of lines. The third part of 1600, but reprinted since it was composed in 1573, is the psalm Super flumina Babylonis , a piece of festive, even melancholy, and is composed of 8 parts by double choir. It also found that more than one psalm motet and two choirs Avila us a 4 partes, pero desiguales (SSAB/SATB), en un estilo más arcaico, alejado de los adornos barrocos.

De su colección de 1583:

Thomae Ludovico
A Victoria Abulensis
Missarum Libri Duo
Quae Partim Quaternis. Partim
Quinis. Partim Senis.
Concinuntur Vocibus
Ad Philippum secundum Hispaniarum Regem Catholicum.
Romae
Ex Typografia Dominici Basae.
MDLXXXIII
Cum Licentia superiorum.

Romae
Apud Alexandrum Gardanum MDLXXXIII.

su Missa pro Defunctis , una obra muchos menos conocida que la de 1605 y que fue compuesta a 4 partes.
Reeditada en 1592, añadiéndole los responsorios Peccantem me quotidie -este a 5 partes- y Credo quod Redemptor en su colección:

Thomae Ludovici
De Victoria
Abulensis
Missae, quattuor, quinque, sex, et octo vocibus conci-
nendae, una cum Antiphonis, Asperges, et Vi-
di aquam totius anni.
Liber secundus.
Superiorum Permissu.
Romae,
Ex Typografia Ascanij Donangeli. M. D. XCII.
Apud Franciscum Coattinum.
 
Romae,
Apud Francismum Coattinum.
MDXCII.

es la que se nos presenta en esta grabación.
Una obra maestra a todas luces, en la que encontramos clear references in his work of 1605-made up to 6 parties, but in which they are used Gregorian melodies, "though I can not speak of this, 1605 is a mere reproduction of the 1583.

versions offered by the Ensemble Plus Ultra are intimate, elegant and very expressive. Using a vocal group of two sopranos, three high, three tenors and two basses, besides organ obbligato at Mass, and a group of minstrels, consisting of three cornetti sackbuts and two, we have a fairly live readings regarding the choice of tempo and a really superb clarity of line. Exhibited vocal quality is very high in all lines except the bass, in which we find a bell and very questionable taste at times, which makes one ask how can a director of the likes of No one will have passed a similar color, or has decided permit. The other voices perform at a really high level, highlighting the sopranos and tenors like the beautiful color and line high, with the magnificent Clare Wilkinson among them.
No one goes to solvency and shows why he is considered one of the leading specialists in English Renaissance polyphony.

Moreover, we are offered a presentation very carefully, very much in line with the discs in the series The Golden Age Glossa appeared in its moment, although with somewhat puzzling covers, and program notes, signed by Alfonso de Vicente, totally enlightening and very interesting.

A good start for a series that promises, but from which I can not speak without mentioning, with a touch of indignation asombroy, the dreadful of communicating and in-store presence. You just do not understand how a project of this magnitude and fills a gap so wide, once started, is just announced and is surrounded by much mystery. Gentlemen, give it the attention it deserves!

---

Missa pro defunctis a 4: Introitus

---

Super flumina Babylonis a 8