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Track(s) taken from CDA67479

Nisi Dominus

composer
8vv
author of text
Psalm 126

Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker (conductor), Robert Quinney (organ)
Recording details: February 2004
Westminster Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: October 2004
Total duration: 5 minutes 22 seconds
 

Reviews

‘The choir of Westminster Cathedral has long been noted for its distinctive Continental-style tone, which gives its performances of Latin sacred polyphony an attractively distinctive quality. This magnificent recording, which shows off Victoria's mastery of the art of writing music for up to three choirs in the grandest possible manner, suggests that 2004 is a vintage year for them … recordings of Renaissance polyphony rarely come much better than this’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘The choir is radiant in its home acoustic, and Martin Baker's well-researched decision to employ an understated organ 'continuo' adds small but telling touches of colour to the texture’ (International Record Review)

‘It is ideally suited to the full-throated, vibrant singing of the Westminster Cathedral Choir, while Martin Baker's finely controlled direction displays a keen architectural sense … a wonderful disc’ (Goldberg)

‘If you painted me into a corner and forced me to choose between Victoria and Palestrina, I’d have to choose the former, much as I love the latter. If I could have just one Victoria recording on my Desert Island, this, from Westminster Cathedral Choir directed by Martin Baker with Robert Quinney (organ) would be very high on the list … this is music that will transport you to a higher plane’ (MusicWeb International)» More
Nisi Dominus sets the six verses of Psalm 127 (126) for double choir (a high choir of SSAT and an SATB choir) and contains much excellent antiphonal writing with a good deal of rhythmic variety, from the short bursts of triple time to the stately opening of the second half at the words ‘Beatus vir’. Contrasts of choral registration between the higher and lower choirs, together with sections for reduced voices, are skilfully used by Victoria to provide variety and again he uses triple time in the ‘Gloria Patri’ to set off the expansive final section in duple time.

from notes by Jon Dixon © 2004

Nisi Dominus reprend les six versets du Psaume 127 (126) pour deux chœurs (SSAT et SATB) et combine une excellente écriture antiphonaire à une variété de rythmes, des éclats à trois temps à l’ouverture majestueuse de la seconde moitié sur les mots «Beatus vir». Les contrastes de registres entre le chœur de voix aiguës et le chœur classique et les passages pour voix réduites sont exploités très habilement par Victoria, et produisent un ensemble bien diversifié. Ici aussi, il utilise la mesure à trois temps dans le «Gloria Patri» pour lancer la section finale majestueuse, à deux temps.

extrait des notes rédigées par Jon Dixon © 2004
Français: Marie Luccheta

Nisi Dominus vertont die Verse 1–6 des 127. (126.) Psalms für Doppelchor (ein Chor aus hohen Stimmen SSAT und ein Chor aus SATB) und enthält viele Beispiele für Victorias ausgezeichnete Verwendung des Wechselgesangs, der sich hier auch durch eine große rhythmische Vielfalt auszeichnet, angefangen bei den kurzen Ausbrüchen im Dreiermetrum bis zum feierlichen Anfang der zweiten Hälfte auf die Worte „Beatus vir“. Die Kontraste zwischen hohem und tiefem Chor sowie Abschnitten mit geringerer Stimmzahl werden von Victoria geschickt genutzt, um Abwechslung zu schaffen. Wieder nutzt er das Dreiermetrum im „Gloria Patri“ als Gegensatz zum umfangreichen Schlussabschnitt im Zweiermetrum.

aus dem Begleittext von Jon Dixon © 2004
Deutsch: Elke Hockings

Other albums featuring this work

Victoria: Ave regina caelorum & other sacred music
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