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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Victoria - Sacred Music
“exemplary performances of Victoria's glittering compositions in rich sound.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2010 ***** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Victoria: Officium Defunctorum
Tomás Luis de Victoria is definitely one of the most important composers in the music history of Spain. His masterpiece is the ‘Officium Defunctorum’, published in Madrid in 1605. In this requiem – written for the funeral of Maria of Austria, daughter of Emperor Charles V – the composer reached a mystical intensity of expression. Philippe Herreweghe just loves composers “who know how to build entire worlds with sounds, recognizable from the first notes, profound and full of richness”. For him Tomás Luis de Victoria is one of them, “one of the greatest musical minds ever”. So it was an obvious choice for Philippe Herreweghe to make a recording of this heavenly ‘Officium Defunctorum’. And… of course Collegium Vocale Gent – with its cristal clear sound – is the perfect instrument to perform such music. Looking forward to the first renaissance project of Philippe Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Gent for the label Phi! “a CD of such beauty that it needs to be heard by every lover of Renaissance choral music. The music itself is stunning...Herreweghe’s 13 singers do it justice with performances that strike a perfect balance between lusciousness and clarity, expression and nobility.” The Times, 18th August 2012 ***** “The [Requiem]'s dramatic potential is not overtly exploited but rather suggested, such is the concentrated, cut-glass quality of the singing at its best...Fine as this account of the Requiem undoubtedly is, the series of accompanying motets contains some of the disc's finest singing.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2012 “The 13 voices are as finely balanced and harmonious as you could wish, and throughout the recording there is immaculate tuning and exceptional attention to detail. The sense of architecture in the motet Versa est in luctum, for example, is wonderfully judged” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2012 **** “Herreweghe explores evey inflection of Victoria's score, includingt its restrained drama and grief transfigured by faith. The plainchant passages are sung with exceptional fluency and grace...The singers' diction is strikingly clear without seeming exaggerated...[Herreweghe] and his choir obviously understand each other and Victoria's music at the deepest level. A masterly recording in every way.” International Record Review, December 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Sacred Music: God’s Composer (Tomás Luis de Victoria)Presented by Simon Russell Beale
The Sacred Music journey continues with this special celebration marking the 400th anniversary of the death of the Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria. One of the greatest choral composer of the Renaissance, Victoria devoted his life to the church and his music is profoundly spiritual. Interwoven with Victoria’s music, this documentary follows Simon Russell Beale as he takes us through the life and times of Victoria. Harry Christophers and his award-winning ensemble, The Sixteen, perform Victoria’s music in the glorious setting of the Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes in Madrid, founded in 1606 by Philip III in Victoria's lifetime. Born in 1548, Tomás Luis de Victoria was fortunate to live at the height of the Counter-Reformation, at a time of great vitality in the Roman Church. Music and musicians played a prominent role in encouraging religious regeneration, so there were many opportunities for a musician of Victoria’s talent. Victoria devoted his life to the service of God and the music performed in this programme opens a window onto the world of this intensely spiritual man – scholar, mystic, priest, singer, organist and composer - six persons all rolled into one. This is an opportunity to celebrate his life and his creations, some of the most glorious work of the late Renaissance and the Spanish Golden Age. Bonus Features include: Exclusive Interviews - members of The Sixteen discuss Victoria Sacred Music Series One and An Easter Celebration DVD trailers 6 Bonus Audio Tracks taken from a selection of The Sixteen’s celebrated Victoria CDs Related Recordings by The Sixteen Artist Biographies and Images Region: NTSC Region 0 - Plays in all territories Subtitles: English & Spanish “With the help of a brisk factual narration by the actor Simon Russell Beale, quite a lot of ground is covered...The whole is punctuated with pleasing partial performances of ten works nicely recorded...If you have already decided that you like choral music then this will give you pleasure, but it is a celebration of tastes already acquired rather than a passionate advocate for new experience.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2012 **** “Forget the unctuous title: this documentary...strikes the right balance between words, images, and music...we hear entire motets; and quite often, when the music starts, the presenter, the engaging Simon Russell Beale, steps aside...The performances are very successful...Harry Christophers and his singers are heard at their not inconsiderable best” Gramophone Magazine, July 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | El siglo de OroSpanish Sacred Music of the Renaissance
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| |  | Victoria: Requiem
This recording features the celebrated Requiem of 1605, Victoria's final composition and a work of beguiling beauty and sumptuous simplicity. It can be seen as the summation of both his art and the Spanish Renaissance tradition. The beautiful plainsong on which it is structured can be heard arching through the texture, forming a delicate and sinuous line throughout. Subtly accompanied by a chamber organ and bajón, it is recorded here with the same forces as may well have performed it originally in the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales. The Requiem is preceded by Marian Antiphons interspersed with three motets setting texts from the Song of Songs. “Harry Christophers imbues this account with maturity and assurance as well as a deep understanding of the music's architecture. He inspires some impassioned singing from the choir - plumbing the depths in the Offertory to depict the 'deep pit' and 'the pains of hell', and elsewhere using a range of rhetorical gestures to heighten intensity.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2005 ***** “…The Sixteen's new offering… builds on their previous recordings by complementing the voices with a chamber organ and the wonderfully robust-sounding bajón, an early Spanish bassoon whose use in polyphonic performances of the period is well documented.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2005 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Victoria - Et Jesum & Motets à voix seule
Carlos Mena (countertenor), Juan Carlos Rivera (lute, vihuela) & Francisco Rubio Gallego (cornet) “It needs a special voice to focus the attention so clearly on itself, and Mena’s fits the bill. He has an extraordinary range…I suspect that those who dislike the ‘churchy’ manner in which the music is so often staged
will find it revelatory.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2004 | | | Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days. |
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| |  | Lighten Our DarknessMusic for the Close of Day including the Office of Compline
“The Reinberger and Rachmaninov pieces hold up extremely well in this illustrious company, even against the radiant heart of the recital, Victoria's four Marian motets. As the whole choir sings beautifully throughout, perhaps I should resist singling out the brilliance of the sopranos in the Sheppard and Lassus pieces.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2006 **** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | The Victoria Collection
2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Tomás Luis de Victoria. This remarkable Spaniard epitomized the emotion and fervour of Renaissance Europe and could be considered the most outstanding composer of his time. This new boxed set contains four of The Sixteen’s celebrated Victoria recordings for the price of three including his masterpiece, the Requiem of 1605 recorded in surround sound and released in SACD format. A beautifully packaged set, which compliments perfectly the release of The Sixteen's newest recording by the composer - Hail, Mother of the Redeemer, also features some of the composer's Lamentations for Holy week. What could make a more appropriate Easter gift? | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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