An impressive discovery
scott | Calgary, Canada | 12/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Orazio Benevolo (or Benevoli as his name is more commonly rendered) is relatively unknown composer of considerable talent.
He was born in Italy, spending his entire career there (mostly in Rome) except for three years in Vienna from 1643-1645. He is most well known for his large scale sacred vocal works. Apparently there is a 48-voice mass from his pen. If only some one would record that!
The motets and psalms on this disc are all very good, but it is the mass setting that really impresses. The closing movement of the Gloria has the sopranos singing a slow cantus firmus in long notes under which the rest of the voices sing a highly energetic, densely contrupuntal foundation. It is really impressive.
The performance here is very good. Niquet uses a fairly small choir with a good continuo group. The theorbos make a great contribution to the rhythmic energy of this music. The overall sound is quite French, making for an interesting Gallic/Ultramontaine fusion.
This is high quality, rarely heard music performed very stylishly, and I recommend it."
A Rare Find
scott | 01/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While on vacation last summer, I needed some new music for the drive home. In a Charlotte record store, I found a CD with numerous "Agus Dei's" from various works starting with polyphonic composers like Benevolo. That one cut sent me searching the net--This site--when I got home, hoping to find more Benevolo. I found this compilation; I consider it a rare find. It's well recorded and performed with what sounds like period instrumentation used sparingly so that the moving parts of polyphohnic music can be well-defined. It's moving and beautiful."
Otherworldly...
J. Aiken | 05/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Listening to the absolutely beautiful Missa Azzolina really floored me. To think that music such as this was dumped into the trashbin by the Catholic Church in recent history is really shocking and sad. That issue aside, this Mass merges the high polyphonic glory of Palestrina with a little bit of low Mass intimacy. The use of lute (or whatever that stringed instrument is) makes the Mass sound...at times...downright folksy. Well, as folksy as one would care to be in the Old Latin Rite. A wonderful discovery. A must-buy for Latin Mass attendees who are looking for something beyond Missa De Angelis."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1