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Palestrina: Music For The Christmas Season

Chicago a cappella's debut recording presents works from one of Renaissance Italy's best known composers, the Roman choirmaster Palestrina, including his rarely heard masterpiece Missa O magnum mysterium. Also included are several of Palestrina's Christmas hymns, which alternate between verses of polyphony and verses of Gregorian chant, and the six-voice motet "O magnum mysterium," on which Palestrina based his mass of the same name.

Centaur Records CRC2303
Running time: 54:40
Includes 14-page booklet with full texts and translations
Recorded at St. Giles' Episcopal Church, Northbrook, IL

TRACK LISTING:
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina:
Missa O magnum mysterium
                Kyrie
                Gloria
                Credo
                Sanctus/Benedictus
                Agnus Dei
Motet: "O magnum mysterium"
Hymn: A solis ortus cardine
Hymn: Christe redemptor omnium
Hymn: Hostis Herodis impie
Offertory: Jubilate Deo universa terra

REVIEWS

"There are moments of soaring beauty in this recording....the ensemble shows great sensitivity in phrasing and choice of articulation....Choral aficionados will be grateful that these wonderful works have been recorded so successfully.."

—Choral Journal

"The Mass is a welcome addition to the Palestrina discography, and the program is interesting and well constructed. The small ensemble (nine singers) sings with light vigor and good momentum—features that probably appear elsewhere in their wide repertory....They bring out Palestrina's contrasting approaches to the "O magnum mysterium" in the 1569 motet and later mass: the motet is reflective in wonder; the mass is full of motion and proclamation."

—American Record Guide

"The singing...demonstrates a high level of professional skill....The engineering is intimate but warm. The notes are useful and texts are printed with translation. This is a successful debut..."

—Fanfare

"There's no shortage of Palestrina recordings in the catalog, but they concentrate on surprisingly few of the composer's large number of works. This fine recording from the nine-voice Chicago a cappella offers several pieces, including the Mass O magnum mysterium, that aren't available anywhere else. The performances show a refined sense of style, good blend, and balance...."

—Amazon.com

"The crisp sound of Chicago a cappella brings the composer Palestrina to life in this performance of the Missa “O Magnum Mysterium.” The nine-voice professional ensemble is hard to beat for clarity of tone and transparent purity of singing."

—Beliefnet

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