Tomás Luis de Victoria

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Was looking around for recommendations for Victoria's Requiem, and surprised to find this important composer lacks his own thread.

So enlighten me please, you Early Musick experts!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Whaaat?? I thought this was the Xenakis Thread!!

Too much rat poison rots the mind, I guess 

[spooky]

-- is an excellent beginning & cheap !!!

-- but of the 10 or so versions still in my collection (not counting vinyl)
the Sixteen on Coro is #1 followes by Westminster Cathedral choir under David Hill on Hyperion

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Thank you spooky. Do you have an opinion on the McCreesh version? (I'm not so keen on his "recreation" approach to things, but it got really good reviews)

[spooky]

My first recollections of the Paul McCreesh version is that it has some low key instrumental accompaniment to the polyphony,
and that the sopranos are very beautiful on this recording - perhaps stronger even than on the Sixteens disc.

-- I find the contrast of high & low parts draws me strongly to Victoria's compositions - its seems a natural extension of the "English"
polyphonists who proceded him, eg. Taverner, Tye, and particularly Sheppard who's Missa Cantate by Paul McCreesh is in my top Ten cd's

please have a listen @ Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/John-Sheppard-cantate-McCreesh-Gabrieli/dp/B00004YMLR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1305825945&sr=1-1

[Verena]

-- is an excellent beginning & cheap !!!

-- but of the 10 or so versions still in my collection (not counting vinyl)
the Sixteen on Coro is #1 followes by Westminster Cathedral choir under David Hill on Hyperion

The Sixteen on Coro is also my No. 1.   

[Moz]

For me, Victoria is among the absolute top renaissance/early baroque composers and being a choral singer I have enjoyed performing a number of his pieces. My definitive favourite is the Salve Regina for 8 voices, followed by Versa est in Luctum from the requiem where the interpretation of the lyrics is very skillfully composed.

Regarding the requiem I generally think it should be performed by a male choir and thus I prefer the Gabrieli Consort version with McCreesh.. Their voice quality of the counter tenors isn't perfect to say the least(prefer Hilliard ensemble) but the tenors and basses are very good. The doubling of the bass(Dulcian?) adds a stability to the music and a wider tonal spectrum which is just nice.

[bhodges]

Hi Moz, and welcome. We could use more choral singers around here! If you like, feel free to post something about yourself in the "Introductions" section of the board.

In any case, have a good time and enjoy.

--Bruce

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I eventually got the Westminster/David Hill version on Hyperion. I'm happy with it.

[Moz]

Hello and thanks!

Yes, I might introduce myself in that section first, completely makes sense. My bad..

I'm happy to be here and hope to find some good inspiration regarding pieces that could be interesting to bring to the vocal ensemble I'm in.

//M

[San Antone]

A wonderful recording ~

[Karl Henning]

For me, Victoria is among the absolute top renaissance/early baroque composers and being a choral singer I have enjoyed performing a number of his pieces. My definitive favourite is the Salve Regina for 8 voices, followed by Versa est in Luctum from the requiem where the interpretation of the lyrics is very skillfully composed.

Yes! Exquisite and eminently singable, always a joy to perform his music.

[Ken B]

The motherload

[asin]B0050F6JQE[/asin]

[The new erato]

I don't like loaded mothers :

Mother lode is a principal vein or zone of veins of gold or silver ore. The term is also used metaphorically to refer to the origin of something valuable or in great abundance.

Not to be a wise-ass: I write lots of mistakes myself, but motherload is such an ambiguous term that it grates my eyes every time I see it....

[petrarch]

The motherload

[asin]B0050F6JQE[/asin]

Yes! I saw that ensemble last November and it was outstanding. Interestingly, during the pre-concert talk they mentioned how over the years they progressively slimmed down the number of voices when performing those works, with the intent of bringing about a more transparent and clearer texture. And indeed, their performance was exquisite.

[San Antone]

I eventually got the Westminster/David Hill version on Hyperion. I'm happy with it.

The David Hill/Westminster Victoria recordings are uniformly excellent.  Get them all.

[aligreto]

Through the good graces of a fellow member here I have been able to access this set:





I intend to listen to every note in it. For me, Victoria, along with Palestrina, was the epitome of this genre and both wrote sublime music. The music of Victoria will not be very far away from me over the coming weeks. I have already listened to Missa Pro Victoria and Missa Pro Defunctis with great satisfaction.

[aligreto]

Through the good graces of a fellow member here I have been able to access this set:





I intend to listen to every note in it. For me, Victoria, along with Palestrina, was the epitome of this genre and both wrote sublime music. The music of Victoria will not be very far away from me over the coming weeks. I have already listened to Missa Pro Victoria and Missa Pro Defunctis with great satisfaction.

Well, a couple of months later and I have just finished my first time listening to this set.

It is always a pleasure to listen to the music of Victoria: the quality of his polyphonic writing is constantly nothing less than superlative or ever less than most engaging.
This set contains simply glorious music and very good music making. The presentation of this music is consistently superlative throughout the set. The music is always varied, lyrical and very appealing and engaging. The harmonies are absolutely wonderful, absorbing, engaging and the presentations are always full sounding. The vocal ensembles are also always full sounding and very well balanced and recorded. The ensemble consistently sounds full and satisfying in terms of the delivery and presentation of the music. The soprano voices are particularly engaging. Yes, some find this set to be overtly English sounding but, despite that, it is still very engaging and it is always very definitely very pleasurable and always worth investigating.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Well, a couple of months later and I have just finished my first time listening to this set.

It is always a pleasure to listen to the music of Victoria: the quality of his polyphonic writing is constantly nothing less than superlative or ever less than most engaging.
This set contains simply glorious music and very good music making. The presentation of this music is consistently superlative throughout the set. The music is always varied, lyrical and very appealing and engaging. The harmonies are absolutely wonderful, absorbing, engaging and the presentations are always full sounding. The vocal ensembles are also always full sounding and very well balanced and recorded. The ensemble consistently sounds full and satisfying in terms of the delivery and presentation of the music. The soprano voices are particularly engaging. Yes, some find this set to be overtly English sounding but, despite that, it is still very engaging and it is always very definitely very pleasurable and always worth investigating.

Roughly when were the recordings done?

Glad that you have been enjoying your traversal through it. 

PD

[Karl Henning]

Well, a couple of months later and I have just finished my first time listening to this set.

It is always a pleasure to listen to the music of Victoria: the quality of his polyphonic writing is constantly nothing less than superlative or ever less than most engaging.
This set contains simply glorious music and very good music making. The presentation of this music is consistently superlative throughout the set. The music is always varied, lyrical and very appealing and engaging. The harmonies are absolutely wonderful, absorbing, engaging and the presentations are always full sounding. The vocal ensembles are also always full sounding and very well balanced and recorded. The ensemble consistently sounds full and satisfying in terms of the delivery and presentation of the music. The soprano voices are particularly engaging. Yes, some find this set to be overtly English sounding but, despite that, it is still very engaging and it is always very definitely very pleasurable and always worth investigating.

It's a fabulous box, atop the fact that I've never heard nor sung a note of Victoria that I didn't like.