musica Dei donum
CD reviews
Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548 - 1611): Motets
Victoria Voices And Viols
Dir: Andrew Hope
rec: Nov 2 - 3, 2001, Tudeley (UK), All Saints Church
ASV Gaudeamus - CD GAU 338 (66'08")
Ave Maria a 4;
Ave Maria a 8;
Ave, Regina coelorum a 5;
Ave, Regina coelorum a 8;
Beata es virgo Maria;
Magi venerunt stellam;
Ne timeas Maria;
O Ildephonse;
O magnum mysterium;
O vos omnes;
Pueri Hebraeorum;
Sancta Maria, succurre miseris;
Sancta Maria, succurre miseris;
Senex puerum portabat;
Senex puerum portabat (instr);
Surrexit pastor bonus;
Vadam et circuibo;
Versa est in luctum
Rebecca Hickey, Anna Stéphany, soprano;
Samir Savant, Simon Lillystone, alto;
JJ Barnes, Andrew Hope, Tony Purves, tenor;
Chris Hunter, James Robinson, bass;
Sarah Roberts, treble viol;
Frances Eustace, treble, tenor and bass viol;
Barbara Wyatt, tenor viol;
Ilana Cravitz, Richard Partridge, bass viol;
Emma Hope, double harp;
Taro Takeuchi, theorbo
Tomás Luis de Victoria was one of the last representatives of the
prima prattica, the polyphonic style which was dominant in the
period music history has labelled the renaissance. Musically
speaking, Spain and Portugal were isolated from the rest of Europe, and
that resulted in Spanish composers being rather conservative. The fact
that de Victoria went to Rome to study with Palestrina will only have
enhanced that tendency. In his composing, Palestrina painstakingly
followed the rulings of the Council of Trent, which tried to find
answers to some of the criticisms of the Reformation. One of those
criticisms was that liturgical music had become increasingly complicated
and, as a result, incomprehensible to the faithful. In reply to that
the Council asked for clarity of the musical texture and asked composers
to pay attention to the text and to avoid anything that would obscure it.
The Counter Reformation also stressed the need for devotion. This is
certainly present in De Victoria’s motets, where it goes hand in hand
with the "passion, drama, intensity and radiance" – thus Andrew Hope
in his liner notes – which is characteristic not only of De Victoria’s
music, but of Spanish music in general.
Although De Victoria certainly paid attention to the text and makes use
of madrigalisms here and there, there is generally no strong link between
text and music. He rather concentrates on creating an atmosphere which
reflects the nature and meaning of the text.
In the booklet, Andrew Hope explains the interpretational choices he
has made. Since most of the motets were composed during De Victoria’s
stay in Rome (roughly from 1565 to 1585) he has opted for an Italian
pronunciation. What is decisive, though, is not where the music was
composed, but where it was performed. But it is reasonable to assume
that motets composed in Rome were also performed there – which doesn’t
exclude the possibility that they have been performed in Spain as well,
after the composer’s return to his fatherland.
But from there on Andrew Hope gets entangled in his own reasoning. One
would expect that an Italian pronunciation goes hand in hand with an
‘Italian’, or more precise, ‘Roman’ style of performing, which means
predominantly ‘a cappella’. But instead he has chosen to perform these
motets with instruments. "Viols, harps and theorbos were widely used
instruments of the late Renaissance." True, but that doesn’t say anything
about where and when instruments were used, and which instruments.
"Although I know of no evidence to suggest that Victoria conceived his
motets to be performed with voices and stringed instruments, the practice
of instrumental involvement in polyphony was both varied and widespread
in Italy and Spain".
But it is very unlikely that in Rome instruments were ever used in liturgy.
They were used in Spain, though: many cathedrals had their own instrumental
ensembles, which supported the singers by playing colla parte but
also played motets without voices. And the fact that there is no firm
evidence that a composer had a performance with instruments in mind,
doesn’t necessarily make such a performance historically unjustified.
But the instruments used in Spanish churches were predominantly wind
instruments, like cornet, sackbut and bajón, rather than viols as are
used here. In this light Andrew Hope’s statement: "I am sure that
Victoria would have come to similar conclusions" seems nothing more
than wishful thinking to me.
I could have lived with an ‘unhistorical’ performance if the performers
didn't try to justify their choices with shallow arguments. And I could
overlook even that if the performance was excellent. It isn’t – on the
contrary. The characteristics attributed to De Victoria’s music in the
booklet - "passion, drama, intensity and radiance" – are totally absent
here.
This performance is very down-to-earth and sober, with very little text
expression and contrast. The tempi are generally too brisk, which makes
it impossible to reveal the passion De Victoria's music contains. And it
is beyond me how the intense devotion of pieces like Ave Maria or
Ave, Regina coelorum, texts which belong to the heart of the
Roman Catholic faith, can be performed in such a neutral, bland way as is
the case here.
Considering the things mentioned before it really doesn't matter much
that some of the singers use an annoying vibrato which undermines the
overall sound of the ensemble, and that the acoustics are dry and lack
the reverberation music like this needs.
Apart from the lack of historical evidence for the performance practice,
this is just a boring recording which lacks any excitement, devotion or
religious commitment - all of which are indispensable attributes of any
performance of Spanish religious music.
Johan van Veen (© 2003)