Blachly, Pomerium - Musical Book of Hours
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Music Reviews of Musical Book of Hours
Music Review: Misleading Title, Decent Performance
Rating: 4 Stars
Like most American early music ensembles, Pomerium sometimes has to turn to showmanship to stay in business. The attempt to link this set of motets either to the daily schedule of liturgical chants called the Hours, or to the illustrated devotional prayer books called Books of Hours is totally misleading. Oh well, may they thrive from it! Just don't bother to read the tri-lingual essay in the program notes.
Enough of that. The selection of motets on this CD is about as fine as one could hope for, including works by Dufay, Josquin, Ockeghem, Busnois, and Dunstaple, plus several compositions not available anywhere else, by little-known composers such as Richard Hygons and Hilaire Penet. [One more caution: the amazon samples credit every track to Busnoys, but only one piece is his.] Motets generally used Biblical verses or devotional poetry for their texts; among the most popular choices were the Latin poems of Thomas Aquinas. But motets were not intended specifically for liturgical purposes, and were not constrained by the needs of liturgy. For that reason, they often present the most original and experimental musical thoughts of their composers. Often they are the best "listening" of the repertoire.
Pomerium is a large mixed choir, with women singing both alto and soprano parts. This recording, like most of Pomerium's, uses a very live, reverberant acoustic, suggestive of a vast Gothic cathedral. Ordinarily I'm not fond of such performances, especially on recordings, because they mask and muddy the rhythmic and harmonic inventiveness of Renaissance polyphony. However, this time Pomerium sings to their strength, which is a robust, evocative choral tone - something many people find spiritually moving. Conductor Alexander Blachly chooses tempi to maximize both the variety and the emotive impact of these twelve motets, and keeps his choristers in excellent ensemble without over-stressing the bar-line effect of a baton. All in all, this is not an impressively authentic performance, but it's lovely to hear.
Music Review: Beautiful Music
Rating: 5 Stars
This album is fantastic! I listen to it when I am writing, reading, or just want to relax. I am not of the Christian faith but I appreciate beautiful music. The songs are ethereal and filled with emotion. The voices transport you to another time, another place. I highly recommend this album!!Music Review: A must!
Rating: 5 Stars
Each new Pomerium CD becomes an essential part of my library. Most of the works were new to my ear (includes a setting by Josquin of the opening of St. John's Gospel). Alexander Blachley -- keep the CD's coming!Music Review: Splendor
Rating: 5 Stars
One of my favorite CDs of medieval/renaissance choral music. Light some candles and/or incense, turn off the lights and drift heavenward. The Salve Regina is the best!