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Track(s) taken from CDA68065

Beata es, Maria

composer
4vv; Motetti libro quarto (Venice: Ottaviano Petrucci, 1505). RISM 1505/2, fols. 9v (Superius), 8r (Altus), 8v (Tenor), 9r (Bassus)
author of text

The Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice (conductor)
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Recording details: August 2013
The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Summertown, Oxford, United Kingdom
Produced by Antony Pitts
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: November 2014
Total duration: 4 minutes 11 seconds

Cover artwork: The Tree of Jesse (c1500). Circle of Geertgen tot Sint Jans (c1465-c1495)
Photo: IAM / akg-images
 

Reviews

‘The Brabants have never ventured this early before but on this showing I hope very much that they will do so again’ (Gramophone)

‘This is a remarkable disc, firstly because of the rarity of the repertoire it contains, and secondly because of the extraordinary vigour of much of the singing. When I first listened to Nato canunt omnia, I was quite taken aback both by the speed and by the brashness of the sound—the ‘milked’ false relation at the final cadence is to die for—but further acquaintance not only makes the vigour seem normal but essential. Stephen Rice gives quite brilliant analyses of the pieces recorded in his very substantial booklet notes; of Nato canunt omnia he says, ‘The piece as a whole stands as a virtuosic demonstration of Brumel’s compositional technique, which juxtaposes radically different styles and textures to create a glittering musical collage.' … the Missa de beata virgine offers, on account of its length, many sonic possibilities, and the Brabants are able to use both their sharp- edged upper voices and their sense of line to tremendous effect’ (International Record Review)» More

‘The twelve-member Brabant Ensemble is excellent in all respects in this music, captured at the Church of St. Michael and all Angels at Oxford. This album fills a needed gap in the moderate yet undernourished Brabant discography’ (Audiophile Audition, USA)» More

‘[This] skilfully executed and well-produced disc will give listeners a greater appreciation of the breadth and skill of Brumel’s music’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

‘In his wonderfully detailed if somewhat technical notes Stephen Rice, the conductor of the Brabant Ensemble, looks into the many facets of the technical and musicological background to these little known works … [by] Brumel—a very significant figure in renaissance music … it’s very welcome as a fine addition to the catalogue’ (MusicWeb International)» More
The motet Beata es, Maria is based on a lauda spirituale, the genre which flourished in Italy from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries and which was often sung by members of religious confraternities, outside the formal liturgy. As the musicologist Jennifer Bloxam has noted, Brumel’s setting is also related to two earlier works, by Loyset Compère (c1445–1518) and Jacob Obrecht (1457/8–1505). The latter was published in the same volume as Brumel’s (Motetti libro quarto, 1505) by the earliest printer of polyphony, Ottaviano Petrucci. Both begin with a presentation of the lauda melody in the tenor voice and in triple time, and both proceed to words from the litany ‘O Christe, audi nos’. Brumel is more systematic than Obrecht in returning to the litany text as a form of refrain, though all three composers repeat the text ‘O Christe, audi nos’ to complete the motet. As Bloxam aptly remarks, Brumel’s Beata es, Maria is ‘a consummate synthesis of Franco-Flemish contrapuntal craft with the light, tuneful, rhythmically vivacious, vertically oriented Italian style of the polyphonic lauda’. Particularly effective are the contrasting duets between upper and lower voices.

from notes by Stephen Rice © 2014

Le motet Beata es, Maria repose sur une lauda spirituale, un genre qui fleurit dans l’Italie des XIIIe–XVIe siècles et qui était souvent chanté par les membres de confraternités, en dehors de la liturgie officielle. Comme l’a souligné la musicologue Jennifer Bloxam, ce motet de Brumel est également apparenté à deux pièces antérieures de Loyset Compère (ca1445–1518) et de Jacob Obrecht (1457/8–1505). Parus dans le même volume (Motetti libro quarto, édité en 1505 par Ottaviano Petrucci, le tout premier imprimeur de polyphonie), le motet d’Obrecht et celui de Brumel s’ouvrent sur la présentation de la mélodie de la lauda au tenor (en mesure ternaire) et passant au texte à partir de la litanie «O Christe, audi nos». Brumel se montre plus systématique qu’Obrecht en ce qu’il revient au texte de la litanie sous forme de refrain—encore que les trois compositeurs terminent le motet en répétant «O Christe, audi nos». Comme le fait justement remarquer Bloxam, le motet Beata es, Maria de Brumel est une «synthèse consommée de l’art contrapuntique franco-flamand et du style italien de la lauda polyphonique, léger, mélodieux, rythmiquement enjoué, d’orientation verticale». Les duos contrastifs entre les voix supérieures et inférieures sont particulièrement impressionnants.

extrait des notes rédigées par Stephen Rice © 2014
Français: Hypérion

Zugrunde die Motette Beata es, Maria liegt eine Lauda spirituale; es ist dies ein Genre, welches vom 13. bis zum 16. Jahrhundert in Italien seine Blütezeit hatte und oft von den Mitgliedern religiöser Gemeinschaften außerhalb der Liturgie gesungen wurde. Die Musikwissenschaftlerin Jennifer Bloxam hat darauf hingewiesen, dass Brumels Werk sich auch auf zwei ältere Stücke von Loyset Compère (ca.1445–1518) und Jacob Obrecht (1457/58–1505) bezieht. Das Letztere wurde im selben Band wie Brumels Werk publiziert, nämlich im Motetti libro quarto von 1505, das der erste Verleger polyphoner Musik, Ottaviano Petrucci, herausgegeben hatte. Beide Stücke beginnen mit der Lauda-Melodie in der Tenorstimme und im Dreierrhythmus, und beide fahren mit Worten aus der Litanei „O Christe, audi nos“ fort. Brumel ist insofern systematischer als Obrecht, als dass er zu dem Litanei-Text als eine Art Refrain zurückkehrt, obwohl alle drei Komponisten den Text „O Christe, audi nos“ verwenden, um die Motette zu beenden. Bloxam hat treffend beobachtet, dass Brumels Beata es, Maria „eine vollendete Synthese franko-flämischer kontrapunktischer Kunst mit dem leichten, melodiösen, rhythmisch lebhaften und vertikal orientieren italienischen Stil der polyphonen Lauda“ ist. Besonders wirkungsvoll sind die kontrastierenden Duette zwischen Ober- und Unterstimmen.

aus dem Begleittext von Stephen Rice © 2014
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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