Notes and Editorial Reviews
Glosas
•
Glen Wilson (hpd)
•
NAXOS 8.572477 (73: 15)
Works by
A. DE CABEZÓN, H. DE CABEZÓN, J. DE CABEZÓN
In 36:6 I recently reviewed a seven-CD set issued by Brilliant Classics of the complete
Obras de música para tecla, arpa y vihuela
(Works of Music for Keyboard, Harp, and Vihuela) of Antonio de Cabezón (1510–1566), posthumously compiled and published in 1578 by his
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son, Hernando de Cabezón (1541–1602). I gave that set a somewhat conditional recommendation, stating: “While these performances are technically faultless and stylistically conscientious, they tend to be somewhat cautious and short on character....When I turn instead to the afore-mentioned Naxos and Motette recordings, the spirit and colorfulness of these pieces is captured to a palpably greater degree....However, I don’t wish to look a gift horse in the mouth; the performances are still estimable overall, and at the Brilliant Classics super-budget price, anyone interested in the music of Cabezón should snatch up this set without delay before it disappears.” The Naxos recordings I cited included a two-CD set of the complete
tientos
and variations from that collection by harpsichordist Glen Wilson. Wilson has now returned to this repertoire to favor us with a selection of 17 of Cabezón’s
glosas,
with 16 taken from the
Obras
and one (track 16) from the
Libro de cifra nueva para tecla, harpa y vihuela
(Book of New Numbers for Keyboard, Harp, and Vihuela), an anthology of some 200 pieces by various composers which was compiled by Luis Venegas de Henestrosa (c.1510–1570) and published in 1557.
The disc also includes four
glosas
by the composer’s son Hernando, and one by his brother, Juan de Cabezón (?–1566). While both Antonio and Juan were in the employ of the Spanish court, virtually nothing appears to be known of the latter, not even if he was older or younger than his sibling, and only two pieces of his music are known to have survived. Not much more is known of Hernando; he succeeded his father as organist to the Spanish court, and likewise only a handful of his compositions are extant. Those offered here were also included by Hernando in the
Obras.
Whereas the
tiento
is the Spanish counterpart to the Italian
ricercar
, the
glosa
is an elaborate variation (i.e., gloss) of quasi-improvisatory character upon the work of another composer. Those of Cabezón are highly contrapuntal works of extreme technical difficulty, sometimes featuring four to six distinct voices running simultaneously in a manner comparable to contemporary polyphonic mass settings. The
glosas
included here take as their subjects pieces by Thomas Crequillon, Josquin des Prez, Nicolas Gombert, Orlando di Lasso, Johannes Lupi, Jacobus Clemens non Papa, Cipriano de Rore, Philippe Verdelot, Philip van Wilder, Adrian Willaert, and Johannes Wreede. In his excellent, highly detailed booklet notes for this release, Wilson quotes from the preface that Hernando wrote to the
Obras
: “If some errors are still present, I beg that they be altered with my full approval.” Noting “the problem of establishing a reliable text from the
Obras
,” he then wryly comments: “I have taken him up on this offer to a dizzying degree.” (Exactly how is not further specified.)
As a renowned performer and scholar, Wilson is no stranger to the pages of
Fanfare
. To hear the renditions of these works by keyboardist Claudio Astronio in the aforementioned Brilliant Classics set alongside these versions is immediately to confront the difference between a skilled, conscientious performer and a world-class interpreter. Admittedly, comparison can be difficult, because Astronio performs virtually all of the works featured on this disc on the organ; but for the exceptions where both artists employ a harpsichord (Track 12, based on the
Ardenti miei sospiri
of Verdelot, being a prime example), Wilson’s superiority is immediately evident. There is a subtle suppleness of the phrasing, and slight but telling agogic touches to rhythms and accents, that separate the various contrapuntal strands far more clearly and makes the pieces spring to life with far greater expressiveness. Wilson also has the far superior instrument, one with a deep resonance and variety of tonal colors that the comparatively thin, almost tinny-sounding harpsichord of Astroni cannot begin to match. As some of my colleagues here have previously noted regarding Naxos discs of harpsichord music, the recorded sound here is very closely miked, so that the instrument sounds somewhat boomy if the volume is turned up, but at a more moderate level it sounds fine. Given the scattershot selection of the
glosas
included here, I infer that an integral
Obras
series from Wilson on Naxos is not planned at present; more’s the pity. While I’m not about to give away the complete Brilliant Classics set, this and Wilson’s previous set unquestionably offer the superior introduction to Cabezón and are enthusiastically recommended.
FANFARE: James A. Altena
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Works on This Recording
3.
Pues a mi desconsolado by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
Written: Spain
4.
Pour un plaisir by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; Spain
5.
Missa del home arme: Osana by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; Spain
7.
Cancion Francesa by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
10.
Pues a mi, desconsolado by Juan de Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; Spain
12.
Dulce memoria by Hernando de Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
Written: Spain
13.
Ave maris stella by Hernando de Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
16.
Sana me domine by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
17.
Prenez pitie by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
21.
Ancor che col partire by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
Written: Spain
22.
Chi la dira by Antonio De Cabezón
Performer:
Glen Wilson (Harpsichord)
Period: Renaissance
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