Paradisi

This 2004 survey of modern settings of the medieval sequence Stabat Mater Dolorosa is part of conductor Marcello Viotti's project to record the little-known but worthy sacred works of the twentieth century, in conjunction with the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Chorus for their concert series Paradisi gloria. The four works by Francis Poulenc, Karol Szymanowski, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Wolfgang Rihm are dramatically different in conception and musical content, and may be regarded more as reflections of personal faith than as practical works for ecclesiastical purposes.

This seems to be singer Marilena Paradisi's debut recording as a leader, though there are no liner notes to provide any background about her career. Accompanied by an excellent rhythm section, which includes pianist Paolo Tombolesi, bassist Piero Leveratto, and drummer Eliot Zigmund (a veteran of pianist Bill Evans' trio), Paradisi contributed all of the arrangements for her rather interesting program. She captures the sassy, self-confident mood of the girl unjustly abandoned in "You Won't Forget Me," while she shines in the bossa nova setting of "Laura." Her wordless introduction to "Detour Ahead" is beautifully mirrored by Tombolesi. But Paradisi especially excels in her two duets: the tasty "If You Go" with Leveratto and the strutting rendition of "It's All Right With Me" with Zigmund (though his drums are a bit too prominent in the mix)…

These twelve sparkling sonatas from 1754 by Pier Domenico Paradisi (or Paradies) come from a period when Italian instrumental style had been losing ground compared to what was being produced on the other side of the Alps. Paradisi acts as a catalyst for the different attitudes of expression in Italy, France and Eastern Europe, expanding the boundaries of the so-called stile galante. Enrico Baiano, who enjoyed a remarkable period of recording activity for the Symphonia label in the 1990s, shows again with this stunning 1995 Paradisi recital, why he is regarded as one of the best harpsichordists of his generation.

A well-regarded composer in his own right, Leopold I transformed the Viennese court into a centre of European culture. The beautiful settings he wrote for the burials of his first two wives, as well as his music for the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are testament to the Emperor’s musical talent.

Baroque Italy still conceals many works that are too rarely performed. Here, ensemble Le Palais royal brings together Lotti's Credo, Rubino's Lauda Jerusalem, Vivaldi's Laetatus sum and Scarlatti's splendid Stabat Mater. Brilliant, virtuosic and richly ornamented, these pieces were composed for festivities and celebrations, and reflect the effervescence and opulence of the Italian cities of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Far from the smooth, cold marble, the ensemble's performance on period instruments reveals all the asperities, reliefs and volumes of a language and music that it sculpts like a colourful and sensual material.

Various Artists - La Polyphonie Flamande - The Flemish Polyphony (2011) {8CD Set Ricercar RIC 102}
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© 2011 Outhere / Ricercar | RIC 102
Classical / Early Music / Polyphony / Medieval / Choral / Renaissance / Sacred Works

The composers known collectively as the Fiamminghi made their mark in Europe in general and in Italy and in France in particular during the 15th century. Their talent and skill gained them the most important positions in the great musical establishments of the time. This collection is devoted to the leading composers of the 15th century, from those of the first generation (Guillaume Dufay, Gilles Binchois, Arnold de Lantins and Johannes Brassart) through Johannes Ockeghem, the great master of polyphonic technique, to Josquin Desprez and Pierre de La Rue, two musicians taught by Ockeghem who laid the foundations of the Ars Perfecta during the Renaissance. Also included is Jacob Obrecht, the only composer of this school whose career was based essentially in his native Flanders. Every genre of both sacred as well as secular music of the time is represented here.

Petr Eben drew upon the Old Testament and sacred texts from early church fathers for his powerful sacred vocal works. Latin was his preferred language for these settings, and he favoured Gregorian chant which he used as inspiration for his weaving polyphonic lines, complex rhythms and irregular patterning. This body of work, written in the teeth of party opposition in Czechoslovakia – born a Jew, Eben became a practising Catholic – is one of the most important by a Czech composer in the twentieth-century.