Castle Classics Gombert, Nicolas (Flemish c1495-1560)

N Gombert: Missa Media Vita - The Hilliard Ensemble

Label - ECM

Cat. No. - 9818792

Including Media vita in morte sumus (Motet); Missa Media Vita - Kyrie, Gloria; Salve Regina; Anima Mea; Missa Media Vita - Credo; O crux, splendidor cunctis; Missa Media Vita - Sanctus; Quam pulchra es; Missa Media Vita - Agnus Dei; Musae lovis

Biographical details on Nicolas Gombert are scant. Born shortly before 1500, probably in southern Flanders, there is some evidence that he was a pupil of Josquin Desprez. As a member of the chapel choir of Charles V in Spain from 1526 onwards he travelled the Empire widely. He seems to have been an unofficial court composer, and contemporaries praised him as one of the most outstanding masters. He bridges the generations between Josquin and the latest masters of renaissance polyphony, Lassus and Palestrina, his remarkable output including masses, motets, chansons and eight sets of Magnificats.

Gombert's six-part motet Media Vita is an undisputed masterwork, showing a characteristic tendency toward dark colours. Most obvious is the elaborate imitation technique relinquishing any unnecessary ornamentation, melodic word-painting or demonstrative structuring. The five-voice Missa Media Vita is based on this motet, each movement beginning with the initial material and borrowing several details from the former piece.

This new recording is The Hilliard Ensemble's 22nd ECM album. The collaboration between the world-famous English a cappella group and ECM began in 1986 with Arvo Pärt's Arbos and led to acclaimed artistic achievements and great successes in old and new music alike, especially their vastly popular projects with improvising saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Officium and Mnemosyne. With the present Gombert disc the Hilliards, augmented by tenor Andreas Hirtreiter and bass Robert Macdonald, continue their comprehensive research into Medieval and Renaissance polyphony that has included works by Perotin, Machaut, Gesualdo, Lassus and others
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N Gombert: Tribulatio et angustia - Four- & five-part motets - The Brabant Ensemble; Stephen Rice, director

Label - Hyperion

Cat. No. - CDA67614

Including Tribulatio et angustia; Hortus conclusus es; Aspice Domine; Virgo sancta Katherina; Inviolata; Inviolata, integra, et casta es, Maria; Ne reminiscaris, Domine; Pater noster; Ave Maria; Ergone vitae; Ave sanctissima Maria

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N Gombert: Magnificat I - Oxford Camerata; Jeremy Summerly, conductor

Label - Naxos

Cat. No. - 8557732

Including Credo in unum Deum • Epitaphium (in Josquinum a Prato), "Epitaph for Josquin des Pres" • Magnificat primi toni • Media vita in morte sumus • Salve regina (Mode 1) • Salve regina/Ave regina/Inviolata, integra et casta es/Alma Redemptoris (Diversi diversa orant) • Super flumina Babylonis • Tulerunt Dominum meum

This recording brings together many of Nicolas Gombert’s best-known works, including the first of his eight Magnificats, the eight-voiced Credo, and Tulerunt Dominum, whose closing bars are some of the most memorable of the period. Once again, the Oxford Camerata and Jeremy Summerly produce some brilliant results encapsulating both tenderness and vigour through the many layered textures and armonies.
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N Gombert: Magnificats 1 - 4 - Tallis Scholars; Peter Phillips, director

Label - Gimell

Cat. No. - CDGIM037

Including ANONYMOUS: Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, The Feast of All Saints, 1 November; Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, The Feast of All Saints, 1 November (Repeat); Plainchant: Great Antiphon, 18 December; Plainchant: Great Antiphon, 18 December (Repeat); Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, The Nativity of Our Lord, 25 December; Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, The Nativity of Our Lord, 25 December (Repeat); Plainchant: Antiphon for Vespers, Saturday before Palm Sunday; Plainchant: Antiphon for Vespers, Saturday before Palm Sunday (Repeat); GOMBERT: Magnificat 1, Primi Toni; Magnificat 2, Secundi Toni; Magnificat 3, Tertii et Octavi Toni; Magnificat 4, Quarti Toni
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N Gombert: Magnificats 5 - 8 - Tallis Scholars; Peter Phillips, director

Label - Gimell

Cat. No. - CDGIM038

Including ANONYMOUS: Plainchant: Antiphon for Second Vespers, Corpus Christi; Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, Saint Mary Magdalen, 22 July; Plainchant: Antiphon for First Vespers, Epiphany; GOMBERT: Magnificat 5, Quinti Toni; Magnificat 6, Sexti et Primi Toni; Magnificat 7, Septimi Toni; Magnificat 8, Octavi Toni
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C Festa; J Ockeghem; N Gombert: Lamentations - Josquin Capella

Label - Dabringhaus und Grimm

Cat. No. - MDG60512692

Including FESTA Lamentationes Hieremiae Prophetae; Lamentatio I; Lamentatio IV; Lamentatio V; Lamentatio VI; OCKEGHEM Requiem; GOMBERT Musae Iovis; Circumdederunt me gemitus mortis
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N Gombert: Church Music - HENRY'S EIGHT; DECLAN COSTELLO, WILLIAM TOWERS countertenor; DUNCAN BYRNE, NICK TODD, NICHOLAS YATES tenor; GABRIEL CROUCH, DAMIAN O'KEEFFE, ROBERT-JAN TEMMINK bass; JONATHAN BROWN director

Label - Hyperion

Cat. No. - CDH55247 (Formerly CDA66828)

Including Credo; Haec dies quam fecit Dominus; Qui colis Ausoniam; Salve Regina ('Diversi diversa orant'); O beata Maria; Vae, vae Babylon; Media vita in morte sumus; Lugebat David Absolon

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE

'This is vocal chamber music of a high order - secure in tuning, varied in sonority and elegant in phrasing' (Early Music News)

'Hauntingly beautiful music ... A most rewarding experience' (Organists' Review)
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