Well bollocks to YouTube for not having anything at all by the marvellous John Browne.
I had been looking for his "O Maria salvatoris" for reasons that those of you who actually managed to read the past few days' posts will still find obscure.
But yesterday's last-minute stand-in from the quill of Signor Pergolesi brought up the subject of those beautiful pieces the Stabat Maters - or possibly Stabats Mater, depending on your degree of pedantry (at least they did with Lucio, who is a fellow collector).
Stabat Mater Dolorosa is a thirteenth century chant describing Mary's feelings at the crucifixion (not a happy song) and the earliest extant versions are in unison "Gregorian" chant, after which things got more interesting with harmony and chorus and eventually (as yesterday's example) musical accompaniment.
Stabat Maters are still being written. Dvořák wrote one and I have them by Szymanowski and Arvo Pärt from only a few years back.
The classic versions are by Pergolesi, Palestrina, Browne, Vivaldi, Scarlatti and Bononcini but there are many, many others.
Here is a list from a website that Lucio also uses, should any of you want to tool up and go shopping.
Now it is time to brew up a coffee and chill out for a little.
This is John Browne's very own Stabat Mater, written in the 1490s and here performed by the Tallis Scholars in Salle Church, just a few miles from my little village in Norfolk.
You cannot download this as it is copyright (I cheated and stripped the copycode; I'm not telling you how but then I have a recording studio with wizzy boxes in it and you don't, so there), but if you - like me - find yourself utterly captivated by it, go visit the Amazonians and order the CD (or better still, support your local independent music shop and order it there).
It is not expensive and it is one of the most beautiful and uplifting ways to spend a little over seventy-one minutes.
The CD is:
"John Browne. Music From The Eton Choirbook"
by The Tallis Scholars, directed by Peter Phillips.
It's on Gimell Records.
Anyhoo … This particular fifteen minutes' worth is often used to stop me killing mobile phone users on the train.
Early choral music is even better when the treble and mezzo parts are sung by choirboys and not laydee soprani but the only version I have of this particular piece with boys is just a little over-enthusiastic and has some cringe-notes that spoil it.
So put on your headphones.
Sit back.
Take a few deep breaths (it's a big file so it takes a few seconds after you've clicked "PLAY" for anything to happen).
Close your eyes.
Enjoy.
16 comments:
I swallowed hard. Once. Twice. Three times. Beautiful.
Even my dog just sat quietly at my feet, looking up at me now and then, his eyes soft and brown, listening.
I hope everyone listens in to this one, Dive. (And if you have Google Analytics, you can see how long people spend on your blog...I do this sometimes. There is a woman in Virginia who spends about five minutes a day on my blog and although she has never commented, I like her so much just for taking that much time to read...)
Oh Dive,thank you so much...
You are a very precious...gentleman
By the way,are you looking at the
Australian Open Tennis?
Beautiful music
While listening, I checked itunes to see if the album was available there and it was. So while listening to the song from your blog, I downloaded the whole album so I can listen anytime
Thanks for sharing
'Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.'
Steve Martin, and many others...
Okay, now I can talk about the music...
It really is a rapturously beautiful piece, and the Tallis Scholars need to be awarded a collective knighthood for their supreme musicianship - tout de suite! The audio engineer also deserves a mention.
Tear-inducing aural splendour.
Thank you for this Dive. The music is absolutely breathtaking! I remember hearing this years ago in a music history class. I long since lost my notes and could not remember the name. I only remembered the period. I will have to download this as my daughter rudely interrupted me about a quarter of the way through! What a wonderful piece to listen to in order to drown out those annoying "multi-taskers".
I hardly have words to describe what it was like to hear this amazing music. Transcendent comes to mind. Like Neetzy I agree that this is the kind of music that does not lend itself to multi-tasking. I'll order the CD so that I can have a full feast and not just an appetizer. From one heathen to another I say: bless you for this offering.
Lovely. Again. :)
Maria: Nice to hear that Socks appreciated it. You've obviously brought him up right.
Thanks Anon. Unfortunately I don't have time to watch TV and even if I did I only have four crappy terrestrial channels in my village; no cable or satellite so I would be unable to watch the tennis.
Hey ho.
Christine: thank you for downloading the album; it makes me feel slightly less guilty for stripping the copycode and posting it illegally.
A fine quote, Lucio. I thought it was Frank Zappa but as you say, many have used it.
I often dance about architecture, by the way.
The Tallis Scholars are pretty darned good but their female soprano and mezzo do tend to dominate a little too much; choirboys or castrati would be better.
Thanks, Neetzy. If you like this you should check out some of the other early Stabat Maters; they are uniformly gorgeous and would make great music to paint to on a rainy day.
Katie: You women and your multi-tasking! My male jealousy seethes in your general direction. I have so often wished I could carry out disparate activities at the same time but my attempts to date (combining cooking and sex, for example) have been an unmitigated disaster.
Of course that one might have worked had I been able to find a partner … Sigh.
Lynn: I am lovelier every day.
Please,what does"lovier"every day" mean? Is it an advertisement?
Sorry for the lapsus:"lovelier" of course
Believe it or not the music service I subscribe to actually has the whole cd. I purchased it through them for $4.99. Thanks for expanding yet again, my musical knowledge.
That as amazing, Dive. I was completely lost through it, and when it ended, I was startled. Beautiful.
Thank you for this entire post and the one before it. I'm sorry I was absent this weekend and didn't get to this sooner.
Anonymous: It is from Lynn's comment yesterday and is just me winding her up (I love doing that; I am cruising for a slap when we meet).
Hi, Prudence.
Yay for you! Excellent! I know we both love the same modern music so it's good to hear we like the same ancient music as well.
This is a great one for a late night on your deck with a bottle of wine … in warmer weather of course!
Robyn: I am glad you managed to catch up. What with two careers now as well as all your voluntary work it is amazing you find the time to blog at all, let alone to post such excellent stuff as you have today.
I wanted to thank you again for sharing this beautiful music with us.
As mentioned yesterday, I downloaded the cd and today I listened to it at work on my ipod. Of course I did get several questions as to what I was listening to and why was I listening to this type of music. Then again, they also ask why I listen to the classical station too. Many people have not been exposed to period/historical music and are only aware of modern music - thank you again to my mother and music history class in college for my appreciation
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