Missa Mexicana
An uneasy marriage of a Mass with dance
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Juan Bautista José Cabanilles, Anonymous, Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Joan Cererols, Miguel Pérez de Zavala, Francisco Escalada, Santiago de Murcia, Francesco de Vidales, Juan Garcia de Zéspiedes
Genre:
Vocal
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 4/2003
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 69
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMU90 7293
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Missa, "Ego flos campi" |
Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Composer |
Canten dos jilguerillos |
Francisco Escalada, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Francisco Escalada, Composer Harp Consort |
Jácaras de la costa |
Santiago de Murcia, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Santiago de Murcia, Composer |
Los que fueren de buen gusto |
Francesco de Vidales, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Francesco de Vidales, Composer Harp Consort |
Corrente Italiana |
Juan Bautista José Cabanilles, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Juan Bautista José Cabanilles, Composer |
A la xácara xacarilla |
Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Composer |
A siolo flasiquiyo |
Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Juan Guitiérrez de Padilla, Composer |
Cumbées |
Santiago de Murcia, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Santiago de Murcia, Composer |
Marizápalos bajó una tarde |
Anonymous, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Anonymous, Composer Harp Consort |
Seráfin que con dulce harmoniá |
Joan Cererols, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Joan Cererols, Composer |
Diferencias sobre marizápalos |
Miguel Pérez de Zavala, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Miguel Pérez de Zavala, Composer |
Guaracha: Convidando esta la noche |
Juan Garcia de Zéspiedes, Composer
Andrew Lawrence-King, Harp Harp Consort Juan Garcia de Zéspiedes, Composer |
Author: Tess Knighton
Little is known about performance practice in Puebla Cathedral, but I suspect that if strummed guitars were to be added to the accompaniment of any standard polychoral Mass setting in conservative 17th-century idiom, it could be made to sound fairly dancey, especially if it’s taken at a fairly upbeat tempo as here. Even leaving aside questions of whether the music was ever conceived to be performed – or indeed was ever heard – in this way, the interpretation here does not come across as convincing: the light singing style and the deftness of touch of the plucked strings is much better suited to the villancicos and purely instrumental items. Even in these more immediately winning pieces, such as Gutiérrez de Padilla’s A la xácara xacarilla, only the tenors (the excellent Julian Podger and Ian Honeyman) really bring energy and focus to the singing.
In music that is often short-breathed in an essentially simple strophic style it is all too easy to fall into a stylised, even affected manner of delivery, and The Harp Consort, for all its brilliance at improvising plucked-string accompaniments, does not quite avoid this. Happily, soprano Clara Sanabras does create a sense of narrative in the extended ballad-like Marizápalos bajó una tarde. Even given the colourful qualities of the recording – rainstick included – and despite a worthy attempt to adopt a more earthy singing style in the African-inspired cumbées, the overall impression remains somewhat superficial: highly polished but ultimately self-conscious. Undeniably attractive, but if it becomes the cult disc I guess it set out to be, I’ll eat my hat.
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