Reviewer: J.
F. Weber
This is the ninth version of
the finest and most familiar Mass of early 16th-century England, a setting
for six voices using as cantus firmus a chant antiphon for Trinity Sunday.
Only incidentally, it achieved another kind of immortality in 1560 when
Thomas Mulliner transcribed for organ a melodic phrase from the Benedictus,
in nomine Domini, that numerous composers arranged for instrumental
consort. As Rees points out in his notes, the Mass might have been composed
for either of Taverner’s two choirs, at the collegiate church in Tatterhall,
Lincolnshire, or at Cardinal College (now Christ Church Cathedral), Oxford,
both dedicated to the Holy Trinity, although most writers prefer to think of
the latter choir in connection with the work.
Of the eight previous recordings, Bruno Turner in 1962 was
remarkably stylish for the time, Andrew Parrott set the work in a liturgical
reconstruction (Fanfare 9:6), Stephen Darlington used the present-day
choir of men and boys that Taverner once directed in Oxford (31:1), and
Peter Phillips improved on his elegant first recording by generously filling
out the disc with three Magnificats (37:4). The four other recordings were
summed up in the last two reviews. The present version is only the second
that does not use a vocal ensemble of one or two voices, for it is made up
of 30 adult mixed voices rather than Darlington’s men and boys.
The opening work, the votive antiphon Gaude plurimum, had never been
recorded or broadcast when Tim Day published his Tudor Music Discography
in 1989. It has since been made by Harry Christophers (13:4), Peter Phillips
(22:3), and David Skinner (35:4), all directing small vocal ensembles. One
would suspect that the vocal ensemble Contrapunctus is singing here for the
flexibility of the voices, but it is the choir, since two of its sopranos
are identified as soloists. The work is a Marian antiphon sung at the end of
the day (four more familiar texts are found in the general chant repertory).
It is made up of five sections, the first three inviting the Blessed Virgin
to rejoice in giving birth to her Son; this is the first time I have seen
the Son of God referred to as mediam divinae Trinitatis personam (the
middle person of the divine Trinity). The faithful rejoice with her in the
fourth section and in the final section pray for her intercession. Like
other extended votive antiphons of the period, this 17-minute work may have
been too complex for the Tudor revival until the CD era. It is a masterly
setting that rightly leads off the program, as it did on Christophers’s
first recording.
The Le roy Kyrie has often been added to Taverner’s Mass recordings because
all Tudor Masses omitted the Kyrie in favor of a troped chant setting. Among
many recordings are Peter Phillips with this Mass (9:6 and 19:3), Harry
Christophers (15:4), and Stephen Darlington (17:2). Here it is sung by
Contrapunctus. The Mass follows with the same lightness of texture that the
choir displayed in the opening work. By comparison with the three vocal
ensembles, the choir brings expressive power to climactic sections that
recommends this version as a worthy choice among the four discs.
The next two pieces, the antiphon Ave Maria (for daily use) and the
responsory Audivi vocem (for All Saints Day) are sung by
Contrapunctus. I cannot find any previous recording of Ave Maria.
Audivi vocem is on a Harry Christophers disc with this Mass (8:4; CD in
11:4), an Andrew Parrott disc (39:6), and a Stile antico program (34:4). The
responsory that concludes the disc, Dum transisset Sabbatum for
Easter, sung by the choir, is one of the most familiar of Taverner’s works
on record, from David Willcocks, Roger Blanchard, an early Peter Phillips,
Philip Ledger, John Hoban, Matthew Best, Martin Neary, Peter Phillips with
this Mass (9:6 and 19:3), Geraint Bowen, Jeremy Filsell, John Rutter (12:2),
Roy Massey (12:4), Harry Christophers (15:4), Stephen Darlington (17:2),
Donald Hunt (20:5), Darlington again (31:1), Timothy Smith (33:6), David
Skinner (35:4), Stile antico (36:4), Doug Fullington (36:6), Phillips’s
third version (39:4), and Andrew Parrott (39:6). Though not identified as
such, this is the more familiar of two settings; Darlington and Phillips
have recorded both settings together, and Harry Christophers did so on
separate discs.
This is a
remarkably successful program: Apart from one record premiere, the whole
program is duplicated by first-rate competition, yet it stands up against
the best of them with the sort of unanimity and flexibility that we look to
the smaller groups to achieve. If you want another way to hear this music
than the favored vocal ensembles, this is a match for the fine Darlington
version.
Fermer la fenêtre/Close window |
