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Track(s) taken from CDH55367

Magnificat primi toni

composer
6vv SAATTB; third volume of Magnificats
author of text
Luke 1: 46-55, with the Magnificat Antiphon for Second Vespers, Christmas Day

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: 14 minutes 37 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
The Magnificat primi toni is a composition which comes from Palestrina’s third volume of Magnificats. It is, like most of his Magnificats, written in the alternatim style, but, unlike many of them, it employs up to six voices. Its style is mainly polyphonic and fugal and has a rich texture, but variety is obtained by using different combinations of high and low voices and in places a lighter texture. The Magnificat is preceded and followed by its plainsong antiphon ‘Hodie Christus natus est’, on which, as explained above, the double-choir motet and the Mass are based.

from notes by Jon Dixon © 2003

Le Magnificat primi toni est une composition provenant du troisième volume de magnificats par Palestrina. Il s’agit, comme la plupart de ses magnificats, d’une pièce écrite dans le style alternatim, mais employant (c’est là son originalité) jusqu’à six voix. Son style est principalement polyphonique et fugué et riche de texture, mais la variété de la pièce provient des différentes combinaisons de voix aiguës et graves par endroit, lui conférant ainsi une texture plus légère. Le Magnificat est précédé et suivi par son antienne «Hodie Christus natus est», sur lequel se fondent, comme nous l’expliquons plus haut, le motet pour deux chœurs et la messe.

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

Das Magnificat primi toni stammt aus dem dritten Magnifikat-Buch Palestrinas. Es ist dies wiederum, wie die meisten seiner Magnifikate, eine Alternatimskomposition, jedoch werden, was ungewöhn­lich ist, bis zu sechs Stimmen verlangt. Das Stück ist in seiner Anlage größtenteils polyphon und fugal und hat eine gehaltvolle Textur. Für Abwechslung sorgen verschiedene Kombinationen von hohen und tiefen Stimmen sowie stellenweise eine etwas schlichtere Textur. Vor und nach dem Magnifikat wird die homophone Antiphon „Hodie Christus natus est“ gesungen, auf der, wie oben ausgeführt, die doppelchörige Motette und Messe basieren.

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

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