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Track(s) taken from CDA67696

Magnificat octavi toni

composer
4/5vv; Di Dominico Phinot, Il primo Libro, Di Salmi, A quatro voci, a uno choro, con la gionta, di dui Magnificat (Venice: Scotto, 1555). P2022[A]-1555
author of text
Luke 1: 46-55

The Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice (conductor)
Recording details: August 2008
The Chapel of Harcourt Hill campus, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
Produced by Jeremy Summerly
Engineered by Justin Lowe
Release date: August 2009
Total duration: 5 minutes 24 seconds

Cover artwork: Job mocked by his wife. Georges de la Tour (1593-1652)
Musée départemental des Vosges, Épinal, France / Lauros / Giraudon / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘There are many laurels to award in this column, but arguably the biggest, shiniest and bushiest wreath should land on Stephen Rice and his spirited Brabant Ensemble for their outstanding disc of works by Dominique Phinot. What a discovery! Extraordinary music, not least the 'secret chromatic art' exemplified in the motet Pater Peccavi, which deserves the widest hearing thanks to these sinuous, assured performance, captured in an edgy acoustic that enhances the curious architecture of the polyphony’ (Choir & Organ)

‘The Brabant Ensemble's performances of these fascinating works are as polished and assured as we have come to expect, full-throated yet finely modelled and shimmering with lively intelligence. Rice unerringly finds the right pace for each work … and pays full heed to Phinot's expressive use of contrasting textures. Amidst all the drama of the larger works, the ensemble's caressing, translucent rendition of O sacrum convivium is a particular high point. This is a valuable and engrossing premiere for a neglected and somewhat unconventional sixteenth-century master’ (International Record Review)

‘Rice has outdone his achievement of the first five discs with this fascinating and rewarding offering. If you have not discovered the Brabant Ensemble yet, by all means start here’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘If you are to make an investment into a new or unknown composer you need to be able to trust the performers. With The Brabant Ensemble and the musicianship and prowess of Stephen Rice you know that you are in safe hands … awards. They have a gloriously fresh, yet intensely expressive sound, intonation is miraculous and they are aided on each occasion by a superb acoustic and recording’ (MusicWeb International)
The eighth-tone Magnificat setting is constructed on similar lines to Confitebor tibi, Domine, though exhibiting a greater degree of freedom in paraphrasing the chant. Verse 5, for example (‘Et misericordia eius’) is imitative rather than chordal, and a strong contrast is effected between verses 7 (‘Deposuit’) and 9 (‘Suscepit Israel’). The final polyphonic verse expands the texture to five voices, with a canon at the upper fifth between the tenor and the added voice: the soprano part, too, is almost all canonic at the octave with the tenor, requiring only a single amendment so that its second note is consonant with the lower voices.

from notes by Roger Jacob & Stephen Rice © 2009

Le Magnificat sur le huitième ton est bâti sur des lignes similaires de Confitebor tibi, Domine, tout en affichant une plus grande liberté dans sa paraphrase du plain-chant. Le verset 5 («Et misericordia eius») est ainsi plus imitatif qu’en accords et un fort contraste oppose les versets 7 («Deposuit») et 9 («Suscepit Israel»). Le verset polyphonique final fait passer la texture à cinq voix, avec un canon à la quinte supérieure entre le ténor et la voix supplémentaire: la partie de soprano est, elle aussi, presque entièrement canonique à l’octave avec le ténor et ne requiert qu’une seule correction pour que sa deuxième note soit consonante avec les voix inférieures.

extrait des notes rédigées par Roger Jacob & Stephen Rice © 2009
Français: Hypérion

Das Magnificat 8. Tonus ist ähnlich mit Confitebor tibi, Domine konstruiert, weist jedoch in der Paraphrase des Cantus eine größere Freiheit auf. Vers 5 („Et misericordia eius“) beispielsweise ist eher imitativ als akkordisch angelegt und zwischen Vers 7 („Deposuit“) und 9 („Suscepit Israel“) wird ein starker Kontrast aufgebaut. Im letzten polyphonen Vers wird die Struktur auf fünf Stimmen ausgedehnt, wobei ein Oberquintkanon zwischen Tenor und der dazugefügten Stimme stattfindet: auch die Sopranstimme bildet fast einen Oktavkanon zum Tenor und nur eine einzige Änderung muss vorgenommen werden, so dass die zweite Note konsonant zu den Unterstimmen erklingt.

aus dem Begleittext von Roger Jacob & Stephen Rice © 2009
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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