Notes and Editorial Reviews
For more than 26 years, the French vocal ensemble A Sei Voci has been exploring both the heart and fringes of early music, offering listeners repertoire not only by familiar composers but also an impressive body of unpublished works by virtually unknown names such as Bencini, Escobedo, and D'Helfer. The premise for this disc is director Bernard Fabre-Garrus' desire to compile a representative sampling of the group's recorded catalog, focusing on "the most important settings of Ave Maria and Agnus Dei" committed to disc since 1993. But for both first-time listeners and long-time fans of this world-class ensemble, the rewards are centered in the music itself, the clarity of delivery, the affecting interpretation, the technical
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mastery that separates merely good performance from the highest artistic achievement.
Most of the works (seven of the 13 tracks) are selections from masses by Josquin, but there are significant entries from others, such as the richly scored Agnus Dei from Bartholomeo de Escobedo's Missa Philippus Rex Hispaniae, and another gorgeous Agnus Dei by Francisco Guerrero. The ensemble singing during the seven-year period of these recordings is admirably consistent, although there are recognizable differences in individual voices and in stylistic mannerisms--for instance, the Josquin Ave Maria from 1995 is more agitated and less cohesive in blend and balance than any of the later-recorded pieces. The sound varies only slightly from the earlier to more recent sessions, overall maintaing a very high standard of clarity, detail, and warm ambience. If you don't know this group, this disc makes a good introduction, even though any of its more recent releases--the Bencini Ave Maria or Josquin Missa Pange lingua, for example--will serve that function equally well or better.
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Ave Maria by Pietro Paolo Bencini
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Baroque
Written: Italy
Length: 6 Minutes 19 Secs.
Language: Latin
2.
Missa pro defunctis: Agnus Dei by Charles d' Helfer
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Les Sacqueboutiers du Toulouse,
Ensemble a Sei Voci,
Psallette de Lorraine
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1656; France
Length: 3 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: Latin
3.
Missa "Pange lingua": Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 7 Minutes 0 Secs.
Language: Latin
4.
Missa "Gaudeamus": Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci,
Maitrise des Pays de Loire
Period: Renaissance
Length: 5 Minutes 20 Secs.
Language: Latin
5.
Ave Maria ŕ 6 by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 4 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: Latin
6.
Missa Philippus Rex Hispaniae: Agnus Dei by Bartolomé de Escobedo
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Les Sacqueboutiers du Toulouse,
Ensemble a Sei Voci,
Philippus Rex Hispaniae Choir
Period: Renaissance
Written: ?1556-59; Spain
Length: 3 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: Latin
7.
Missa "L'homme armé" super voces musicales: Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 8 Minutes 8 Secs.
Language: Latin
8.
Missa "L'homme armé" sexti toni: Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 6 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: Latin
9.
Missa de beata virgine: Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 4 Minutes 55 Secs.
Language: Latin
10.
Missa "Ave maris stella": Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 4 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: Latin
11.
Missa "Vidi turbam magnam": Agnus Dei by Gregorio Allegri
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 12 Secs.
Language: Latin
12.
Missa "Hercules Dux Ferrariae": Agnus Dei by Josquin Des Préz
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci,
Maitrise des Pays de Loire
Period: Renaissance
Length: 6 Minutes 27 Secs.
Language: Latin
13.
Ave Maria, motet for 4 voices by Francisco Guerrero
Conductor:
Bernard Fabre-Garrus
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble a Sei Voci
Period: Renaissance
Length: 2 Minutes 58 Secs.
Language: Latin
Sound Samples
Messe De Funerailles Des Ducs De Lorraine: Agnusdei
Missa Pange lingua: Agnus Dei
Missa Gaudeamus: Agnus dei
Missa Philppus Rex Hispaniae: Agnus dei
Missa L'homme arme super voces musicales: Agnus Dei
Missa L'homme arme sexti toni: Agnus Dei
Missa de Beata Virgine: Agnus dei
Missa Ave maris stella: Agnus Dei
Ave Maria gratia plena a 8: Ave Maria gratia plena
Missa Vidi turbam magnam: Agnus Dei
Missa Hercules dux Ferrariae: Agnus Dei
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