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Vijf sterren voor Pärt & Palestrina van BBC Music Magazine

01.02.2012

“Many music-lovers know the story of how Palestrina saved polyphony from extinction at the hands of the Council of Trent. It’s a nice story, even if it is untrue. The Council was oncerned that complex counterpoint made it extremely difficult to follow the religious texts, which the delegates understandable considered to be of paramount importance in church music.
It was also unhappy about the centuries-old practice of weaving the tunes of secular songs, sometimes downright profane, into the Mass music, and the florid, self-aggrandising ornamentation employed by many singers.
Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli showed that clarity and beauty could successfully co-exist even in a contrapuntal context, but it is no longer believed this work directly modified the Council’s attitude.
This CD presents the Mass twice: the last five tracks take us straight through, but before that the sections of the Ordinary of the Mass are interspersed with four compositions by Pärt, using texts from the Gospels. If any composer can be credited with perfectly melding celestially radiant beauty and almost ascetic simplicity, it is Pärt. It’s not difficult to tell the two composers apart stylistically, but their similar spirit, sense of reverence and pristine vision make them perfect musical partners.
Made in the Amsterdam’s Waalse Kerk, this recording gives an excellent impression of space and airiness, and does full justice to the beautiful performance of the Choir.”

Barry Witherdern
Performance *****
Recording *****
BBC Music Magazine February 2012

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