Album
Cappella Mariana, Vojtěch Semerád
Praga Rosa Bohemiae - Music in Renaissance Prague
Catalogue Number: SU 4273-2
Published: 30th August 2019
Genre: Vocal
Format: 1 CD
This album has received following awards:
- Recording of the Month, MusicWeb International (2020)
- Recordings of the Year, MusicWeb International (2020)
Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz (1392-after 1452) - Presulem ephebeatum. Heinrich Isaac (1450-1517) - Missa Presulem ephebeatum*. Jacob Obrecht (1457/8-1505) - Largire nunc mitissime*. Johannes Tourout (ca 1450-1480) - Recordare virgo*. Josquin Des Prez (1450/55-1521) - Stabat Mater (Si placet pars)*. Lupus Hellinck (1493/94-1541) - In te Domine speravi*. Pierre de Bonhomme (ca 1555-1617) - Praecinite Domino*. Jacobus Regnart (1540/45-1599) - Defunctum charites Vaetem*. Kryštof Harant (1564-1621) - Qui confidunt. Jan Sixt of Lerchenfels (ca 1550-1629) - Te Deum*
*world premiere recording
Cappella Mariana: Hana Blažíková, Barbora Kabátková - soprano, Daniela Čermáková - alto, Vojtěch Semerád, Tomáš Lajtkep, Ondřej Holub, Tore Denys - tenor, Martin Schicketanz - baritone, Jaromír Nosek - bass, Pablo Kornfeld - organ. Artistic director: Vojtěch Semerád
Two centuries after the prosperous era of Charles IV, Prague enjoyed its second Golden Age, under the reign of the art-loving Emperor and King Rudolf II, as it became a busy cultural centre, attracting artists from all over Europe. Like in a melting pot, a variety of musical styles mingled together in the city: the Franco-Flemish polyphony, represented by the world's most accomplished composer at the time, as well as the vigorous tradition of literary brotherhoods with the archaic polyphonic repertoire of the previous generations. The focal point of the album is the recently rediscovered Prague manuscript of polyphonic masses, with the fabulously survived Missa Presulem ephebeatum by Heinrich Isaac, one of the most significant masters of the Franco-Flemish polyphonic style. Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz's Presulem ephebeatum, whose thematic material inspired Isaac, attests to his mass being connected with Bohemia and Prague. The album contains a number of other extraordinary pieces, including Josquin Des Prez's celebrated Stabat Mater, with the added sixth voice, which has been uniquely preserved in this form in Bohemia. Cappella Mariana, made up of stellar early music singers (Hana Blažíková, Barbora Kabátková, etc.), have performed Renaissance polyphony to great acclaim at Europe's most prestigious concert venues and festivals.
Vocal polyphony of Renaissance Prague in the perfect harmony of the Cappella Mariana voices
*world premiere recording
Cappella Mariana: Hana Blažíková, Barbora Kabátková - soprano, Daniela Čermáková - alto, Vojtěch Semerád, Tomáš Lajtkep, Ondřej Holub, Tore Denys - tenor, Martin Schicketanz - baritone, Jaromír Nosek - bass, Pablo Kornfeld - organ. Artistic director: Vojtěch Semerád
Two centuries after the prosperous era of Charles IV, Prague enjoyed its second Golden Age, under the reign of the art-loving Emperor and King Rudolf II, as it became a busy cultural centre, attracting artists from all over Europe. Like in a melting pot, a variety of musical styles mingled together in the city: the Franco-Flemish polyphony, represented by the world's most accomplished composer at the time, as well as the vigorous tradition of literary brotherhoods with the archaic polyphonic repertoire of the previous generations. The focal point of the album is the recently rediscovered Prague manuscript of polyphonic masses, with the fabulously survived Missa Presulem ephebeatum by Heinrich Isaac, one of the most significant masters of the Franco-Flemish polyphonic style. Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz's Presulem ephebeatum, whose thematic material inspired Isaac, attests to his mass being connected with Bohemia and Prague. The album contains a number of other extraordinary pieces, including Josquin Des Prez's celebrated Stabat Mater, with the added sixth voice, which has been uniquely preserved in this form in Bohemia. Cappella Mariana, made up of stellar early music singers (Hana Blažíková, Barbora Kabátková, etc.), have performed Renaissance polyphony to great acclaim at Europe's most prestigious concert venues and festivals.
Vocal polyphony of Renaissance Prague in the perfect harmony of the Cappella Mariana voices
Reviews
“Works by Josquin and Obrecht are among the gems in this excellent collection. Crisp, one-to-a-part performances benefit from majestic recorded sound.”
BBC Music Magazine, December 2019
“You will enjoy every minute of this excellently programmed and exceptionally well-sung recording. In fact, while the music is uniformly first rate, you may be even more impressed by the performances by the Czech ensemble Cappella Mariana, six singers (two sopranos, alto, tenor, baritone, bass) whose artful interpretations, expert ensemble execution, and vibrant, perfectly tuned sound give well-deserved life to whatever they sing, whether or not we’ve heard of the composer or work in question.”
ClassicsToday.com, November 2019
“Cappella Mariana is a group of six Czech singers, many of whose members are familiar from other recordings of early music. The intonation and ensemble of these singers are the equal of other, more famous small groups, such as the Binchois Consort or Cinquecento. Both the quality of the performance and the significance of this repertoire make this a strong recommendation for any collection of renaissance music.”
American Record Guide, January/February 2020
“It is to be hoped that more music from Renaissance Bohemia will be performed and recorded. I can hardly imagine a better ensemble for that task than the Cappella Mariana. Seldom I have so much enjoyed the singing of an ensemble of this kind. The two brilliant sopranos, Hana Blazikova and Barbora Kabatková, have a substantial influence on the sound this ensemble produces. Not only blend the voices perfectly, the singers also shape the lines beautifully and create a nice but never exaggerated dynamic shading… This disc offers the perfect combination of an interesting programme and superb singing. It goes straight to my list of recordings of the year.”
MusicWeb International, March 2020
“Die Cappella Mariana muss zu den Spitzenensembles im Bereich der Polyphonie der Renaissance gerechnet werden. Das Klangbild ist ausgewogen und durchsichtig, das Legato der Sänger ist ausgezeichnet, und die dynamischen Schattierungen perfekt dosiert. Auch die Akustik ist genau richtig. Hier stimmt alles. Eine Spitzen-CD, die kein Liebhaber der klassischen Polyphonie missen sollte.”
Toccata, July 2020
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Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz
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| 1. | Presulem ephebeatum | 03:27 | |
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Heinrich Isaac
Missa Presulem ephebeatum
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| 2. | Kyrie | 01:09 | |
| 3. | Gloria | 03:27 | |
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Johannes Tourout
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| 4. | Recordare, Virgo Mater | 04:08 | |
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Heinrich Isaac
Missa Presulem ephebeatum
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| 5. | Credo | 05:22 | |
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Jacob Obrecht
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| 6. | Largire nunc mitissime | 01:30 | |
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Heinrich Isaac
Missa Presulem ephebeatum
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| 7. | Sanctus | 04:58 | |
| 8. | Agnus Dei | 02:54 | |
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Josquin Desprez
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| 9. | Stabat Mater (Si placet pars) | 07:28 | |
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Lupus Hellinck
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| 10. | In te, Domine, speravi | 06:25 | |
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Jacob Regnart
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| 11. | Defunctum charites Vaetem | 04:57 | |
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Pierre de Bonhomme
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| 12. | Praecinite Domino | 02:53 | |
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Kryštof Harant
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| 13. | Qui confidunt | 03:17 | |
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Jan Sixt de Lerchenfels
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| 14. | Te Deum | 10:52 | |