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Track(s) taken from CDH55367

O admirabile commercium

composer
5vv SATTB; Florilegium sacrarum cantionum, published by Phalèse in Antwerp, 1602
author of text
Feast of the Circumcision and Octave of the Nativity

Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker (conductor)
Recording details: February 2003
Westminster Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: September 2003
Total duration: 3 minutes 28 seconds

Cover artwork: Nativity (1527). Lorenzo Lotto (c1480-1556)
Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘Ensemble is watertight throughout, and the Hyperion engineers have done a very good job of capturing the live-ness of the acoustic without every succumbing to muddiness. In sum, this is a brightly focused, clear-as-day tour through Palestrina’s Christmas music that seems to evoke Mediterranean sun rather than northern European snow … you have a good excuse to investigate’ (MusicWeb International)» More
O admirabile commercium is a five-part motet for the Feast of the Circumcision (which falls on January 1st) and the Octave of the Nativity. It takes its text from the first antiphon at Second Vespers of that Feast. The motet comes from a collection entitled Florilegium sacrarum cantionum published by Phalèse in Antwerp in 1602. The still and poised music of its opening bars—‘O wonderful gift’—sets the tone for the rest of this beautiful and finely balanced motet which makes very good use of a high cantus part soaring slowly over the more busy music of the other parts in the final section.

from notes by Jon Dixon © 2003

O admirabile commercium est un motet pour cinq voix pour la Fête de la Circoncision (qui tombe le 1er janvier) et l’Octave de la Nativité. Son texte appartient à la première antienne des Secondes Vêpres de cette Fête. Le motet provient d’un recueil intitulé Florilegium sacrarum cantionum publié par Phalèse à Anvers en 1602. La musique calme et posée des premières mesures, «Ô don merveilleux», donne le ton de cet ensemble de toute beauté à l’équilibre parfait qui met superbement en valeur la voix du cantor montant lentement au-dessus des entrelacs des autres voix dans la section finale.

extrait des notes rédigées par Jon Dixon © 2003
Français: Marie Luccheta

O admirabile commercium ist eine fünfstimmige Motette für das Beschneidungsfest (das auf den 1. Januar fällt) und den siebten Tag nach der Geburt Christi. Der Text stammt aus der ersten Antiphon der zweiten Vesper dieses Fests. Die Motette stammt aus einer Sammlung mit dem Titel Florilegium sacrarum cantionum, die 1602 von Phalèse in Antwerpen herausgegeben wurde. Die ruhige und gelassene Musik der Anfangstakte—„O wunderbares Geschenk“—gibt die Stimmung für die gesamte Motette vor: Ein wunder­schönes und wohlbalanciertes Stück, in dem die hohe Cantusstimme zur Geltung kommt und langsam über den aktiveren Unterstimmen im Schlussteil entschwebt.

aus dem Begleittext von Jon Dixon © 2003
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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