Cistobal De Morales Requiem

Cistobal De Morales Requiem
Musica Fica
Cantus Records
(C 9627)

This exquisite rendering of a Requiem Mass and three motets composed by Cristobal de Morales (ca. 1500-1553) is a lovely introduction to the work of this famous 16th-century Spanish composer. In his own day, de Morales was a musical celebrity, famed throughout Europe for his talent as a singer with the Papal choir and later, as a composer of liturgical music. A prolific composer who wrote at least 21 masses (more than double the number of any of his contemporaries), he was esteemed for his use of counterpoint and his strict adherence to the traditional modes of Gregorian chant.

Intended to carry the messages of the Gospel in the purest possible way, these modes each held associations with specific emotions and moods. De Morales was considered a master at carrying these through to the listener and many later composers incorporated his melodies and passages wholesale into their own work. His use of the organ to supplement or even replace voices in counterpoint, commonly used in Spanish ecclesiastical music but unusual elsewhere, also typifies his work.

All of these characteristics are lovingly revealed by Musica Ficta, the Spanish choral group whose expressive performance exemplifies why de Morales was so renowned. The echoing nature of counterpoint lends itself well to the somber nature of a Requiem Mass, and the way the melody is carried through the separate vocal parts adds to its unearthly quality.

This Requiem is soulful but not lugubrious; unlike many funerary masses that emphasize the ominous and dire aspects of the mass, de Morales' music is mournful yet uplifting, with its soaring melodies emphasizing the glory of God and the idea of salvation. There is fear here, but also sadness and even hope, and the music carries the listener along on a tide of sound, truly inspiring the emotions suggested by the Gregorian modes that were so beloved by de Morales.

The crisp quality of the singers' voices and the superb production values augment the recording, and this is made even clearer in the three motets accompanying the Requiem. The most famous of these, "Lamentabatur Jacob," taken from the Biblical text where Jacob mourns the loss of two of his sons Joseph and Benjamin is a masterpiece, perfectly conveying the sadness of a father mourning his children, through its use of notes and repetition.

One of the characteristics of de Morales' work was his consistency in using various tones and notes to convey certain feelings. By listening to these motets in conjunction with the Requiem, one can easily hear this trait in action, as Musica Ficta utilize similar qualities throughout, playing off one another in a way that echoes the counterpoint that comprises them.

A marvelous example of 16th-century counterpoint from one of the musical form's masters, this CD should prove to be an almost mystical experience for anyone who enjoys Early Music.

— Richard Mackenzie