ビクトリア: 聖週間のレスポンソリウム

ビクトリアの傑作のひとつ!
聖週間のレスポンソリウム!

ロバート・ホリングワースによって1986年にオックスフォード大学で結成され、2006年5月にはロイヤル・フィルハーモニック協会から"アンサンブル・アウォード"を授与されたイギリスの実力派古楽系アンサンブル、イ・ファジョリーニ。ザ・シックスティーンの自主レーベルであるCoro第5弾は、ビクトリア作曲による《聖週間のレスポンソリウム》に、2009年コスタ・ブック・オヴ・ザ・イヤーを受賞したクリストファー・リードの詩集『A Scattering』から、妻の死と死にまつわる感動的な9篇の詩の朗読を織り交ぜたもの。

16世紀後半、当時の作曲家が目指した多声合唱曲のような過剰なものではなく、いかに単純なテクスチュアで作品を描くかということを選んだビクトリア。このアルバムでは作曲者が意図した低いピッチで収録するという試みも行われています。
東京エムプラス

The combination of the dark shadings of Spanish Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victorias Tenebrae Responsories with the most solemn texts of the Christian liturgical year has been irresistible for many years, and recordings of these 18 motets for the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are abundant. This one, however, is almost unique, thanks to two features: it is sung in a possible low transposition, and the performance is by a solo quartet, one voice per part. Both these interpretive decisions may be a matter of taste. From this listeners perspective, the first is desirable, the second less so. The low voice ranges intensify the serious mood, but a small choir would have been a likelier set of performers in Victorias time. Those who dont buy the one-voice-per-part fashion, though, will be pleased that the vocal group I Fagiolini avoids madrigalist gestures; the singing is sober, keeping clear as well of El Greco-esque dark gestures. Another unique feature of this release, at least for physical album buyers (they are not present in online versions of the album), is the presence of poems by Christopher Reid, describing the last days and the death of his wife. The poems are read by I Fagiolini founder and director Robert Hollingsworth. Again, this is a matter of taste; this could have gone completely off the rails, but to these ears, the mixture is persuasive. In short, this release by I Fagiolini, inaugurating a new relationship with the Coro label, definitely succeeds in distinguishing itself from other recordings of these motets. With fine sound from Milton Abbey, this album made classical best-seller charts in early 2024 as it appeared just in time for that years Easter season. ~ James Manheim