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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Tallis: The Lamentations and Contrafacta
Thomas Tallis served four monarchs in his post at the Chapel Royal, and was held in great esteem by his masters and colleagues. ‘Tallis is dead, and music dies,’ said William Byrd, his most distinguished pupil. Tallis was a great survivor of the dangerous shifting sands of religious and court politics in England at the turn of the 16th century and his music displays remarkable craftsmanship. The intensity of expression, and the sheer unrivalled beauty and drama of his work enables it to reach out through the centuries and move the presentday listener. He is one the greatest English composers, and ranks among the 16th century’s most significant composers. This recording brings together his two fine settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and English adaptations of several of his best known Latin motets, including ‘Sing and glorify heaven’s high majesty’ which is better known as Spem in alium – the huge 40-part motet that has become his most famous work. Adapting Latin texts to English became an important task during the 1550s, and the process became known as ‘contrafactum’. Contrafacta survive in the output of many of Tallis’s contemporaries, especially John Taverner. | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Thomas Tallis - Complete Works Volume 8Lamentations and Contrafacta
“Two of the Biblical lessons for Maundy Thursday show Tallis at his most creative and imaginative.
'Incipit lamentatio…' the rising fourth, followed by a descending minor scale, imitated in turn by each of the other voices, sets the tone of sorrowful lamenting. Chapelle du Roi capture this mood with calm perfection. The flowing melodies of the introductory Hebrew letters, the clear articulation of the homophonic sections, each element is performed with understanding, due restraint, and never overdone.
The Latin motets that lie behind the English contrafacta have been recorded on Volume 7 of this series. It's remarkable how well the English texts, not necessarily translations or paraphrases, are made to fit the originals. Much interesting research lies behind the notes to Volumes 7 and 8: the identification of the original sources throws additional light on the religious and political struggles of Tallis's working life, and offers glimpses of domesticity. Dixon's choice between two possible groupings of five voices, the lower male-voice group and a higher one to include the ladies of the house, makes perfect sense.
Sing and glorify is a contrafactum of Tallis's monumental Spem in alium, intended for a joyful royal investiture a quarter of a century after his death.
The motet was recast in an entirely different mould: to wish long life to the young Prince of Wales was a far cry from a desperate appeal to God for mercy: even Dixon's faster tempo can't alter that, but what a fine performance his singers give of it.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days. |
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