Jacob Obrecht | Missa Maria zart
Cappella Pratensis
Challenge Classics / HQ|NORTHSTAR
Catalogue CC72933
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Reviews
- "An elevated understanding of counterpoint" *****'disc of the month' by Classic Voice!
- "But above all else, the exquisitely blended sound, the superior surround sound engineering, and the unique fillers make this an easy choice for this extraordinary Mass, one that should be an enduring example of Obrecht on disc". Fanfare Magazine
- "This new recording of the Cappella Pratensis highlights sensational details of historical and musical interpretation." Sonograma Magazine
- "Thanks to their efforts, the immense cathedral of sound embodied by the Missa Maria zart can now be experienced with a clear articulation and an interpretative map offering many cues for both its listening and decipherment." The ‘Premio Abbiati del disco 2023
Quote: "The twelve singers manage to transmit an extraordinary feeling of intimacy and conjunction, perhaps enhanced by the fact to sing from a lectern with the same score. This exceptional work brings out
a forgotten gem."
This
production is praised all around the globe!
About the Album
Jacob Obrecht’s Missa Maria zart is an extraordinary work, both literally, as probably the longest extant Mass of the Renaissance, taking an hour to perform, and in the more general meaning of the word. It is recognised as one of the most ambitious artistic creations of its time; some have claimed that it defies description. The director of Cappella Pratensis, Stratton Bull mentioned his interest in the complexities of Renaissance mensural notation and the difficulties that modern-day ensembles sometimes experience in interpreting it. Although several recordings of this Mass already existed, few if any had succeeded in doing justice to its subtle system of mensuration signs and use of notation generally. A symposium was held in 2018 and the resulting performance duly took place, but plans for a recording were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This had the welcome if unintended consequence of permitting several other live performances before the recording sessions in September 2022: the interpretation that Cappella Pratensis commits to disc is well ‘lived in’. Jacob Obrecht was born in Ghent between 1457 and 1459. His career included a string of posts as choirmaster in Northern France and the Low Countries (Cambrai, Bruges, Bergen op Zoom, Antwerp). He died in Ferrara (of plague) in May or June 1505. It is not known when the Missa Maria zart was composed but there are good reasons for thinking it one of Obrecht’s very last Mass cycles. Even by Obrecht’s standards Maria zart is unusually complex and inventive. Given the general agreement that Maria zart was probably commissioned for the Imperial court at Innsbruck, Cappella Pratensis uses the Germanic pronunciation that would have been in use there.
Album tracks
ANONYMOUS
[1] Maria zart
GEORG PFAWENSCHWANTZ (1481-1499)
[2] Maria sart
JACOB OBRECHT (1457-1505) Missa Maria zart
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[3] Kyrie
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[4] Gloria
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[5] Credo
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[6] Sanctus
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[7] Agnus Dei
LUDWIG SENFL (ca.1490-1543)
[8] Maria sart
ANONYMOUS
[9] Maria zart