Striggio - Mass in 40 parts

I Fagiolini / Robert Hollingworth

Decca 4782734 Buy now

I Fagiolini had no choice but to “super-size” themselves to do justice to Alessandro Striggio’s monumental Missa Ecco sì beato giorno, recently rediscovered by Davitt Moroney and given its first performance in modern times at the Proms in 2007. The composer toured Europe in 1567, either with this piece or the 40-part motet Ecce beatam lucem, famously provoking a response from Tallis. Striggio’s motet has often been recorded alongside Spem in alium but here we go one better with all three (and a selection of motets that make the case for Striggio’s accomplishments more completely). In a move typical of Renaissance Masses, Striggio piles on 20 more voices in the final Agnus Dei. A friend of mine, listening to this recording, mouthed the word “minimalism”; and the sense of waveforms shaped around recurring harmonic patterns does indeed remind one of latter-day musical developments. It’s easy to compare Striggio unfavourably to the great Englishman but the new work especially reveals that to do so misses the point. The variegated plumage Striggio intended for his creation induces precisely the marvel I mentioned earlier and I Fagiolini seem to revel in the showy splendour of it all. The comparison’s often valid for polychoral music generally but the monumental canvas on which Striggio works makes it especially so. When at last we’re given Spem, we’re made to appreciate the parallel as never before, not least because Hollingworth has chosen his combination of voices and instruments with care. This time, Striggio’s contribution is not heard as the “also-ran” in a competition; rather, it is the creative irritant whose siren song stirred the “humble and quiet” Tallis into superb arrogance. Worth hearing? Definitely. Fabrice Fitch