Search - Jacob Obrecht, János Bali, Ars Nova Secunda Chorus :: Obrecht: Missa Si dedero; Missa Pfauenschwantz /ANS Chorus * Bali

Powerful advocacy for a sorely neglected genius

Sator | Sydney, Australia | 06/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bach only waited about a century for Mendellsohn to rediscover him for the world, now five centuries after succumbing to the plague in July of 1505 - probably contracted while ministering to plague victims - Obrecht's time may have come at last. There is a growing mometum of interest in his music and his stature as a composer continues to grow steadily in the eyes of prosterity. So much so that there may come a time when we speak of his age as being the age of Obrecht, whereas for now we still see it as the age of Josquin.



Jacob Obrecht (1458 - 1505) was a contemporary of artists such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519) and an older contemporary of Raphael (1483 - 1520) and Michelangelo (1475 - 1564). As a music teacher Obrecht also taught the humanist thinker, Erasmus (1466 - 1536). Obrecht belongs to a generation of composers of the 1400s to early 1500's who Monteverdi referred to as the Prima Prattica - the artists of the First Practice - who brought the extraordinarily rich polyphonic music of the Renaissance to its zenith. Until recently the judgement handed down through the centuries of Josquin as the single outstanding composer of the Prima Prattica has been unquestioningly accepted. Martin Luther is frequently quoted as saying that "Josquin is a master of notes, which must express what he desires; on the other hand, other choral composers must do what the notes dictate." Fortunately, we are increasingly discovering the sheer depth and diversity displayed by Josquin's contemporaries, in a seeming Golden Age of Western music whose contrapunctal complexities have never been equalled let alone surpassed. Indeed it would appear that after Obrecht's tragic early demise and lapse into obscurity, Josquin's star only got brighter as he took credit for many an innovation learned from Obrecht.



The works presented on this CD arguably represent the best starting place amongst all currently available CDs to listen and judge Obrecht's growing reputation for yourself. The first of the two masses here, Missa Si Dedero, is a work of Obrecht's maturity dating from the last decade of his life and is considered amongst his finest. The main characteristic of the work is the strikingly extensive use of imitative counterpoint - often to striking dramatic effect. As in all of Obrecht's finest works of his maturity there is a remarkable sense of an overall grand-plan, of a sweeping musical architechtonic grandeur, that really makes him stand out from the crowd of great composers of this period. A comparison with Bach in his time is perfectly apt.



The second mass here is the Missa Pfauenschwanz (the cantus firmus comes from a four part dance, Berbigant's Pfauenschwanz or 'peacock tail'), and belongs to a middle period where he is increasingly showing signs of attaining a more masterly style of composition. It is also an immediately attractive work, some say even more so than Missa Si Dedero, though the latter is still my personal favourite.



The wonderfully communicative performances here by Janos Bali and the Ars Nova Seconda Chorus do an incalculable service to Obrecht's neglected works. They phrase his lines with great expressive beauty while achieving exceptional clarity and above all convey the music's grandeur. Their passionate advocacy on behalf of this sorely neglected composer easily makes them the most outstanding exponents of his music today. The recording is also very good, balancing capturing the warmth resonance of a church acoustic with analytical clarity. The liner notes by Janos Bali are superb.



An essential recording!"