- Audio CD (29 Mar 2005)
- SPARS Code: DDD
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: CD
- Label: Hyperion
- ASIN: B0007XTNW6
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 125,760 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Introit: Gaudeamus Omnes |
| 2. Kyrie: Rex, Virginum Amator |
| 3. Gloria: Per Precem |
| 4. Gradual: Propter Veritatem |
| 5. Alleluya: Ave Maria Gratia Plena |
| 6. Alleluya: Virga Florem Germinavit |
| 7. Sequence: Missus Gabriel De Celis |
| 8. Sequence: Hodierne Lux Dici |
| 9. Offertory: O Vere Beata Sublimis |
| 10. Sanctus: Mater Mitis |
| 11. Sanctus: Christe Ierarchia |
| 12. Sanctus: Voce Vita |
| 13. Agnus Dei: Archetipi Mundi |
| 14. Agnus Dei: Factus Homo |
| 15. Communion: Principes Persecuti Sunt |
Product Description
Review
'The listener is left marvelling at the ingenuity and imagination that produced such an intriguing wealth of rhythmic, harmonic and textural effects from the interplay of just two voices. Red Byrd's performances convincingly recreate this distant sound-world, as well as conveying the excitement with which musicians must have explored the thrilling possibilities opened up by the idea of having two notes sounding simultaneously … an immensely rewarding disc...' (The Daily Telegraph) 'In the hands of John Potter and Richard Wistreich, the two singers who constitute Red Byrd, the music is beguiling. It's surprisingly varied, ranging from pieces conceived as note-against-note, two-part polyphony to the extraordinarily ornate Sanctus Christe ierarchia, one of the two Parisian pieces included for the sake of contrast' (Sunday Times) 'Written mostly for two voices in a stark, direct style, Red Byrd's austere performances project a wonderfully convincing harmonic picture of sacred music from the medieval Kingdom of Fife … These performances, with the skilled choral contributions of YORVOX, a York University vocal ensemble, offer something new at every listening' (Sunday Herald) 'In bringing this repertory to life in so convincing a manner, they [Red Byrd] allow the listener to share in the beauty of polyphony coming into a period of rich blossom. That they have done so with such consummate artistry places us all in their debt' (Opera Today, USA) 'Recorded in an atmospherically resonant acoustic, the singing is throaty rather than floaty, with just enough guttural emphasis to sound plausibly monkish' (International Record Review) 'beautifully performed and intelligently recorded' (BBC Music Magazine) 'a first-rate addition for any collection … Do not hesitate to acquire this, and put in a good word for more of the same' (Fanfare, USA) 'What impresses most in Red Byrd's approach is the way the clear rhythmicization of the musical phrases is yet so independent of any sense of regular, restrictive beat; this fluidity does not, however, prevent a formidably accurate sense of co-ordination' --(Early Music, OUP Journal)
CD Description
At the centre of what the Scottish Tourist Board likes today to call the Kingdom of Fife is the town of St Andrews. Now famed as much for its golf courses as for the striking location of the cathedral and Bishop's castle, in the Middle Ages it was a city at the centre of the diocese that extended from the Tay to the Tweed. The early ecclesiastic inhabitants of St Andrews were loosely affiliated to Rome, and there were strong links with the Continental mainland, with the bishops almost exclusively coming from Norman families. It should therefore come as no surprise to find that St Andrews is the original home of a manuscript of polyphonic music whose contents originated in Paris. But what is surprising is the very nature of the music to be found in the pages of this manuscript. Liturgical idiosyncrasies abound as local musicians infuse the standard Parisian repertory with references to their own Saint Andrew, and the musical idiom finds itself stripped of many of the obfuscating intricacies beloved of Continental contemporaries, leaving a style which is more direct and it could be argued more accessible to the modern ear. Although not a liturgical reconstruction of a Lady Mass in St Andrews around 1230 or so, the repertory on this disc well reflects the liturgical inclusiveness of the musical culture that the cathedral engendered. Rex, virginum amator , a troped Kyrie, is followed by the troped Gloria Per precem . Missus Gabriel and Hodierne lux are Sequences, and further troped items are the Sanctus settings Mater mitis and Voce vita and the Agnus Dei Factus homo . This recording also includes two monophonic troped items, Christe ierarchia and Archetipi mundi which give a sense of the intellectual hothouse that the cathedral and its environs must have represented: the texts of both are stuffed full of subtle allusion and display a learnedness that extends to Greek.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Audio CD
The manuscript known prosaically as W1, copied at St Andrews circa 1240, contains a large body of work familiar from the Magnus Liber Organi associated with Notre Dame de Paris, but also, in the so-called "eleventh fascicle" section, pieces which are likely to have been composed locally, and some of these are presented here.
The works were written for masses dedicated to the Virgin Mary, although this disc is not a recreation of a mass per se. There are troped Ordinaries - a Kyrie, a Gloria, three Sanctus and two Agnus Dei - as well as some Propers - tracts, sequences, offertories, alleluias. The style of the polyphonic pieces is less varied than the Notre Dame material, being mostly note-against-note counterpoint known as discantus.
The two-part polyphony is sung by the outstanding pairing of tenor John Potter (also a member of The Hilliard Ensemble & The Sound and the Fury) and bass Richard Wistreich (who also performs with The Sound and the Fury), collectively known as Red Byrd. They perform with the undoubted joy and excitement of those original singers of this music, pushing back the boundaries and playing with the new techniques in the bold experiment of nascent polyphony. The plainchant is performed by the ensemble Yorvox, comprised of students from the University of York.
A fascinating album, though because of a certain amount of 'sameyness' to the selected content, it's not overall quite as exciting as Red Byrd's two discs of Notre Dame material, Leonin: Sacred Music From Paris (Sacred Music From 12th Century Paris) and Leonin Magister Leoninus Vol.2 (Sacred Music From 12th-Century Paris 2).
The works were written for masses dedicated to the Virgin Mary, although this disc is not a recreation of a mass per se. There are troped Ordinaries - a Kyrie, a Gloria, three Sanctus and two Agnus Dei - as well as some Propers - tracts, sequences, offertories, alleluias. The style of the polyphonic pieces is less varied than the Notre Dame material, being mostly note-against-note counterpoint known as discantus.
The two-part polyphony is sung by the outstanding pairing of tenor John Potter (also a member of The Hilliard Ensemble & The Sound and the Fury) and bass Richard Wistreich (who also performs with The Sound and the Fury), collectively known as Red Byrd. They perform with the undoubted joy and excitement of those original singers of this music, pushing back the boundaries and playing with the new techniques in the bold experiment of nascent polyphony. The plainchant is performed by the ensemble Yorvox, comprised of students from the University of York.
A fascinating album, though because of a certain amount of 'sameyness' to the selected content, it's not overall quite as exciting as Red Byrd's two discs of Notre Dame material, Leonin: Sacred Music From Paris (Sacred Music From 12th Century Paris) and Leonin Magister Leoninus Vol.2 (Sacred Music From 12th-Century Paris 2).
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
The Purifying Mystery of Gregorian Chant
31 Aug 2005
Format:Audio CD
Red Byrd is an ensemble of singers previously unknown to this reviewer, but if the present recording is in keeping with their performances, this is a group of immense talent. Many well-established choral ensembles study for years to achieve the difficult skills required to master Gregorian Chant. There must be a unity of sound and phrasing, a give and take when parts separate, an organic wholeness that makes this period and style from medieval times sustain in popularity not only with ecclesiastical modes but with contemporary compositions that base their form on the chant (works by Gorecki, Glass, Sandstrom, among others).
'A Scottish Lady Mass' (Lady equals Mary here) is by an anonymous composer from the 13th century and derives from St Andrews. The mass is intoned by two men (John Potter and Richard Wistreich) who lead the ensemble by introducing the line before the all-male singers take up the chant. Both of these 'intoners' have perfect pitch and wholly understand the mode. The Mass follows the usual liturgy - Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Alleluya, Sequence, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Communion. The acoustic of this flawless recording is as close to 'being in the cathedral' as is possible - the resonance is allowed to bounce and echo and follow the mystery of the original chants.
This is a fine recording, both for those who collect and admire the Gregorian Chant and for those for whom this may be the first experience with the mysteries these chants convey. Running time 54 minutes. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, August 05
'A Scottish Lady Mass' (Lady equals Mary here) is by an anonymous composer from the 13th century and derives from St Andrews. The mass is intoned by two men (John Potter and Richard Wistreich) who lead the ensemble by introducing the line before the all-male singers take up the chant. Both of these 'intoners' have perfect pitch and wholly understand the mode. The Mass follows the usual liturgy - Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Alleluya, Sequence, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Communion. The acoustic of this flawless recording is as close to 'being in the cathedral' as is possible - the resonance is allowed to bounce and echo and follow the mystery of the original chants.
This is a fine recording, both for those who collect and admire the Gregorian Chant and for those for whom this may be the first experience with the mysteries these chants convey. Running time 54 minutes. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, August 05
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