Corpus Christi Church, New York City; October 15, 2006
Music Before 1800 opened its 2006-2007 season with its mainstay attraction, renaissance vocal ensemble Pomerium. The capacity audience at Manhattan’s acoustically resplendent Corpus Christi Church eagerly anticipated another afternoon of transporting music-making by this popular New York based group — they were not disappointed.
The program, entitled “The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady — Music of the High and Late Renaissance” presented in the first half selections from the sixteenth-century Brussels, Bibliothèque royale. Consisting primarily of plainchant and polyphony, these works provided many opportunities to experience the crystalline purity and immaculate ensemble for which Pomerium, under the direction of Alexander Blachly, is famous. Indeed, to hear the multiple male, and later female voices sound as perfectly as one in plainchant was one of the more arresting aspects of the the concert. The singers’ focused concentration, perfect intonation and unanimity of breathing was a marvel to witness. Equally impressive were the soprano (in the Chant Alleluia) and tenor (in the Chant Gradual) solos, with florid ornamentations that reminded strongly middle-eastern style vocalizing. The first half also included works by Pierre de la Rue, and closed with Matheus Pipelare’s beautiful Memorare mater.
The second half offered a number of motets and hymns by such familiar composers as Josquin Desprez, Thomas Tallis, William Byrd and Giovanni Palestrina. The centerpiece was Desprez’s moving, plangent Stabat Mater, a masterful study in rich polyphony. William Byrd’s brief Hodie beat virgo Maria provided a bright interlude between this, and Thomas Tallis’ intricate, multi-layered Quod chorus vatum. Palestrina’s Adjuro vos, filiae Jerusalem departed from program’s Virgin Mary theme, presenting instead a love poem of yearning from the Song of Songs. However, Giaches de Wert’s Vox in Rama moved closer to the central idea as it related in haunting tones Rachel’s weeping for her children. Finally, Orlando de Lassus’ Vide, homo proved the most dynamic work of the afternoon, with Pomerium’s high voices reaching a clarion ring that at times sounded not unlike those found in many a Gabrielli brass chorale. This brought the program to a vibrant close, to which the audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
Victor Carr Jr
