Search - Allegri, Phillips, Tallis Scholars :: Allegri: Miserere; Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli

Great New Recording

Jay Young | Austin, TX USA | 04/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first saw this, I thought "why oh why does Peter Phillips continue to release previously-done material instead of doing something else?" But I listened to it, and was pleasantly surprised; definitely a worthwhile recording.



Gregorio Allegri's beautiful "Miserere Mei," previously only heard in the Sistine Chapel, is in a class by itself. Palestrina's "Missa Papae Marcelli" can be similarly praised; whether or not it "saved" western polyphony, as the apocryphal story claims, it indisputably changed the way church music was written, and besides that is just beautiful. Unless the performers totally botch these two works, they're always worth listening to. But if you compare the Tallis Scholars' previous recording of these in the album Allegri: Miserere with this new one, you can definitely tell a difference. The old recording has a somewhat muffled sound, which I didn't really consciously notice until I heard the new one; the new recording has a much brighter, clearer sound. "Tu Es Petrus" and "Stabat Mater" similarly improve in sound quality from previous recordings. Plus, the artistic interpretation of all the pieces is different; you will need to listen to the album a few times to notice how. One notable musical difference in the "Miserere" recording is that in the chant interludes, instead of the traditional "Tone 2" chant, in this new version cantor Andrew Carwood decided to intone the "Tonus Peregrinus", as it was discovered to be parodied in the work's high soprano choral part. The final track is a reprise of the "Miserere," with "additional embellishments by Deborah Roberts." You can't hear these additional embellishments in the musical samples, unfortunately. You need to hear these to believe them.



So if you own the 1980 recording of "Miserere" and "Missa Papae Marcelli," (and some version of "Tu Es Petrus" and "Stabat Mater"), is it worth buying the new version? In my opinion, yes. This is not simply a re-release, but a new recording and indeed a new interpretation. The new recording is definitely better in sound quality. As for which has better artistic quality, well that's a matter of opinion. You'll just have to buy it and listen a few times before you decide. And as ever, the Tallis Scholars provide for an excellent listening experience."

Not the best yet, but a GOOD new recording

another reader | 06/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, the Miserere (track 1) is pretty good. I think I still like the 1980 recording better though. All the recordings on this cd sound closer-mic'ed than any of the tracks on the 1980 disc, & I like that better. The Stabat Mater & Tu es Petrus both sound good, but since I don't think I have any recordings of them it's hard to say. I definitely liked them though. The Pope Marcellus Mass just doesn't compare with the 1980 recording though. I'm not sure what the Tallis Scholars were trying to do with this version but it just doesn't compare with their first recording of it. The first one has much more space/reverb to it, is also much more deliberate (36:34 vs. 31:52, or each part is almost a minute longer in the first recording). It's just the perfect recording of the perfect music & just compare the samples. So I don't like this recording as much as the other one, not that it's bad though. The William Byrd Ensemble does a better version of the Miserere w/embellishments though. The Tallis Scholars' 1980 recordings of Allegri's Miserere & Pope Marcellus mass are better than this one, and the William Byrd Ensemble does a better version of Allegri's Miserere with the embellishments: Miserere. All in all this is a good (although not GREAT) disc, 4 stars.

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