Palestrina’s motets do not enjoy the sort of coverage received by his Masses. They often appear alongside a Mass, but rarely are they allowed to stand on their own, as here. The music on this disc shows a side of the composer which is too often neglected in an over-emphasis on a single imitative Palestrina style: his great interest in sonority and balance. At the same time he was undoubtedly a master of the small-scale motet, as the three examples included here also show.
Recorded in New College Chapel, Oxford 21-23 July 1997
First released on Collins Classics 15092
Playing time : 56'25" DDD
Reviews
"The Choir of New College Oxford is on splendid form, with an even brighter edge than usual in the treble lines and sounding more continental than ever. Higginbottom directs with a fluency that reflrects the music’s structures and emotional content alike. New College Chapel’s acoustics have been admirably captured."
BBC Music Magazine
