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Treasury Of A Saint
Various composers

Caecilia-Concert

Treasury Of A Saint

Price: € 12.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917216127
Catnr: CC 72161
Release date: 09 May 2006
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Label
Challenge Classics
UPC
0608917216127
Catalogue number
CC 72161
Release date
09 May 2006
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN
NL

About the album

On this CD “Treasury of a Saint”, The Caecilia-Concert presents a varied selection of pieces composed during the 17th century in different styles, originating from different countries, and arising from different currents in Christianity. what these pieces have in common is their instrumentation. As a result of the unique make up of The Caecilia-Concert, we are able to play them on the instruments on which they may have been played in the 17th century and often were.

These compositions can be roughly categorized into three genres that existed alongside each other: vocal polyphony, diminutions based on vocal music, and instrumental music. The three wind instruments: cornetto, trom- bone, and dulcian, alongside the organ, were often used in the 16th century as additional support or as replacements for voices in vocal polyphonic music. Included on this CD are a few vocal works performed instrumentally. [7, 17, 18]

As the 16th century progressed, the orna- mentation used by the instrumentalist to decorate this vocal music became increas- ingly more extravagant and virtuosic. Out of this arose the development of a new genre towards the close of the century: the dimi- nution. players took an existing madrigal by a composer, such as palestrina for example, selected one voice that was then to be orna- mented, and performed the decorated voice with a continuo instrument such as an organ, lute, or harpsichord. These dominant voices were frequently written out. The result was one composition at the hand of two compos- ers: the composer of the madrigal and the composer of the diminution. [12, 15]

The third genre, instrumental music, is con- nected in degrees of importance to the rise of opera, and therefore to the development of monody and the use of a basso continuo instrument as accompaniment for one or more solo instruments. This led in the 17th
century to an explosion of compositions for instruments that previously were used for the accompaniment of singers. The compos- ers were quite often players and the players frequently composers. As a result, they knew better than anyone else the technical pos- sibilities and limitations of their respective instruments. The harpsichord proved itself to be an ideal continuo instrument but rapidly developed into a sought- after vehicle for solo repertoire.
Beeldschone 17e-eeuwse muziek, uitgevoerd door internationale specialisten
Op het album Treasury of a Saint speelt het Caecilia Concert gevarieerde vocale en instrumentale muziek uit de 17e eeuw. De composities met diverse muziekstijlen, afkomstig uit allerlei landen en voortkomend uit verschillende christelijke stromingen hebben één ding gemeen: de muziek is afgestemd op de instrumenten. Door hun unieke samenstelling kan het Caecilia Concert de composities uitvoeren met de instrumenten die waarschijnlijk ook in de 17e eeuw werden gebruikt. Het ensemble laat het klinken alsof we terug in die tijd zijn.

Enkele vocale werken op dit album zijn instrumentaal uitgevoerd, in de 16e eeuw niet ongebruikelijk. In die periode werden de trombone, kornet, dulciaan (voorloper van de fagot) en het orgel vaak gebruikt om de zangstemmen te ondersteunen of te vervangen.

Het Caecilia Concert is een veelzijdig internationaal ensemble, gespecialiseerd in uitvoering en onderzoek van instrumentale en vocale muziek uit de 17e eeuw. Het ensemble werd opgericht in 2001. Het is een kleine vaste kern, die oude instrumenten bespeelt: Adam Woolf (trombone), Wouter Verschuren (fagot) en Kathryn Cok (toetsinstrumenten). Deze kleine groep wordt regelmatig uitgebreid met zangers en instrumentalisten die aan de top staan in de wereld van de oude muziek. Ze kunnen zo experimenteren met ongebruikelijke samenstellingen en muziek maken die normaal weinig aan bod komt.

Artist(s)

Wouter Verschuren

Wouter Verschuren graduated from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He studied baroque and classical bassoon with Donna Agrell. Wouter is sought after in the Netherlands and abroad as a bassoonist, and is equally at home with repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the Romantic. He is principal bassoonist of The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra conducted by Ton Koopman, and regularly plays with other renowned period orchestras. In addition, he regularly appears as a soloist, and plays in numerous international chamber music ensembles such as Caecilia-Concert, specializing in performance and research of 17th century music, and can be heard on countless CDs. Wouter teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and at the Utrecht Conservatory.
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Wouter Verschuren graduated from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He studied baroque and classical bassoon with Donna Agrell. Wouter is sought after in the Netherlands and abroad as a bassoonist, and is equally at home with repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the Romantic. He is principal bassoonist of The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra conducted by Ton Koopman, and regularly plays with other renowned period orchestras. In addition, he regularly appears as a soloist, and plays in numerous international chamber music ensembles such as Caecilia-Concert, specializing in performance and research of 17th century music, and can be heard on countless CDs. Wouter teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and at the Utrecht Conservatory.

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Kathryn Cok

Kathryn Cok pursues a varied career as a harpsichordist, fortepianist and academic on both sides of the Atlantic. She is well sought after both as a soloist as well as a continuo player. Born in the city of New York, USA, Kathryn now lives in The Hague, Holland where she completed a Masters degree at the Royal Conservatory as a student of Ton Koopman and Tini Mathot on the harpsichord, and Bart van Oort on the fortepiano.   Kathryn recently won first prize in the first solo competition for baroque instruments in Brunnenthal, Austria. She works regularly as a soloist and continuo player with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, and other important early music ensembles in Europe and performs regularly as...
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Kathryn Cok pursues a varied career as a harpsichordist, fortepianist and academic on both sides of the Atlantic. She is well sought after both as a soloist as well as a continuo player. Born in the city of New York, USA, Kathryn now lives in The Hague, Holland where she completed a Masters degree at the Royal Conservatory as a student of Ton Koopman and Tini Mathot on the harpsichord, and Bart van Oort on the fortepiano. Kathryn recently won first prize in the first solo competition for baroque instruments in Brunnenthal, Austria. She works regularly as a soloist and continuo player with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, and other important early music ensembles in Europe and performs regularly as a soloist in many of the world’s most renowned Early Music Festivals such as Oude Muziek, Utrecht, Brunnenthaler Concert Zomer, Bodensee Festival, and important keyboard collections in the UK such as the Cobbe Collection, Finchcock’s, Fenton House and the Gemeente Museum, Holland. She is co-founder of the Caecilia-Concert, a dynamic international group of instrumentalists specializing in performance and research of 17th century music for instruments and voices. Kathryn is busy as a researcher and teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Holland.

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Composer(s)

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

The name Palestrina might remind you of strict, proper counterpoint and boring music lessons. And this image isn't new; even before his death, Palestrina was already portrayed as a legendary master of counterpoint. His body of work commands respect with more than 100 missas, 300 motets and many more other religious works. And all of them written with flawless mastery of the composition techniques of his Franco-Flamish predecessors. Besides the quantity and quality of his work, the council of Trent added to this image. The council wished to reform the music of the catholic church: all excessive and secular elements should be withdrawn and the text had the in the foreground, intelligibly. One story tells that it was Palestrina's Missa Papae...
more

The name Palestrina might remind you of strict, proper counterpoint and boring music lessons. And this image isn't new; even before his death, Palestrina was already portrayed as a legendary master of counterpoint. His body of work commands respect with more than 100 missas, 300 motets and many more other religious works. And all of them written with flawless mastery of the composition techniques of his Franco-Flamish predecessors. Besides the quantity and quality of his work, the council of Trent added to this image. The council wished to reform the music of the catholic church: all excessive and secular elements should be withdrawn and the text had the in the foreground, intelligibly. One story tells that it was Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli which was performed during the council to test the intelligibility. Another myth portrays Palestrina as the saviour of sacred music. In any way, Palestrina was the most central composer in Rome during the 16th century, and his stature lasts to this day. At times, his music is depicted as boring, but if you would give it a listen you will soon find out this is a myth as well!


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Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck

If it were up to Calvinism, all the organs would have been destroyed during the Beeldenstorm, the outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th century. Thanks to city governments, the organs were saved. Strictly speaking, Sweelinck was a servant for the city government as well as the city organist of Amsterdam. His organ and harpsichord music was also used during international negotiations, making his music arguably quite influential.  Sweelinck's music should not be listened to with the same ears as one listens to Bach, Beethoven or Brahms. His instrumental works have its own completely unique expression, including temporal modulations, instead of tonal ones. His toccatas, variations and fantasies often start modestly, and gradually increase in movement....
more
If it were up to Calvinism, all the organs would have been destroyed during the Beeldenstorm, the outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th century. Thanks to city governments, the organs were saved. Strictly speaking, Sweelinck was a servant for the city government as well as the city organist of Amsterdam. His organ and harpsichord music was also used during international negotiations, making his music arguably quite influential. Sweelinck's music should not be listened to with the same ears as one listens to Bach, Beethoven or Brahms. His instrumental works have its own completely unique expression, including temporal modulations, instead of tonal ones. His toccatas, variations and fantasies often start modestly, and gradually increase in movement. Especially his fantasies are masterpieces in this regard. Take for instance his Chromatic Fantasy. The first part uses the chromaticism by alternating whole and half steps. In the second section, the theme is enlarged to a complete cantus firmus, while the embellishments increase in speed. In the third section, the chromatic theme is increased in speed as well, after which the whole work is finished with a graceful bow.
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