# Renaissance greats - Palestrina and Josquin des Pres



## Muse Wanderer (Feb 16, 2014)

Tallis Scholars 'The Palestrina 400 Collection' CD 1 of 4

i) Plainchant - Benedicta es
ii) Josquin des Pret - Motet Benedicta es
iii) Palestrina - Missa Benedicta es - Kyrie
iv) Palestrina - Missa Benedicta es - Gloria
v) Palestrina - Missa Benedicta es - Credo
vi) Palestrina - Missa Benedicta es - Sanctus and Benedictus
vii) Palestrina - Missa Benedicta es - Agnus Dei 1 & 2

Feels like angels speaking to me.... same feeling felt as the first time I heard Allegri's Miserere

This time it is Tallis Scholars' 'The Palestrina 400 Collection' CD1 of 4.

The Plainchant starts off bringing the listener into a sacred mood and demanding attention to the golden pieces that will be presented next.

Josquin des Pret 'Motet Benedicta es' is 6min 55sec of glory to the heavens as never heard before. The starting fugue is sublime, the remarkable drop of dynamics happens with the upper registers being angelically voiced. The lower voices ultimately join in to a great finale at the 6min mark. This piece alone justifies getting hold of the whole collection!

Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina's 'Missa Benedicte es' starts off a soon as Josquin des Pret finishes off.
And it works just as if it was meant to be!

Palestrina's Kyrie is more subdued initially and creeps softly in your subconscious with a far reaching polyphonic melody and harmony. The recording quality really shines in this section with all voices balanced perfectly. The last minute of the Kyrie is stronger, impactful and energised. All voice are saying 'Lord have mercy' in unison at the end. Perfect!

The Gloria starts off with the same energy as the Kyrie left off with a great fugue. The voices are more complex and the layering needs a bit of relistening to appreciate its structure. Palestrina can really astonish you with his mastery! The pauses are there when needed, each stage timed so that it does not take over the whole piece or fatigue the listener.

The Credo keeps the pace going from the Gloria with complex woven voices, again only appreciated with repeated listening. The soundstage of the recording shines through with my open backed headphones and everything feels just right. Fast sections are balanced by slower ones with fewer voices but great melody and harmony.

The Sanctus and Benedictus starts slow paving the way to the climax, the 'Osanna in Excelsis'. And the climax returns again at the end of this piece after another slow interlude...Welcome to Heaven indeed.

The Agnus Dei finishes this marvel of a Missa beautifully. All the voices start together singing softly to the 'Lamb of God' slowly stepping up towards the higher registers with a tearful heart-broken 'Miserere' that is as significant as Allegri's own.

The second section of the Agnus Dei is more jovial filled with eternal happiness in the vicinity of the eternal being this Missa is ultimately written to.

How could such a piece be written by a human?

Palestrina opens the doors to heaven to the dedicated listener who is patient enough to relisten and note all the intricate interlayering of the voices that together bring their ultimate metaphorical treasure...

The gates of heaven, the ultimate human endeavour towards enlightenment and eternal life.


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