(no subject)
I am in love with some very sad motets by Byrd. Particularly 'Tristitia et Anxietas' and 'Ne Irascaris'. I'm currently looking at metaphors of Catholic England in the late 16th century as Jerusalem in exile, in the Cantiones Sacrae of 1589 and 1591. The two motets I mentioned are from '89. They should both be on youtube- I wholeheartedly recommend giving them a listen. Look out particularly for the second part of 'Ne Irascaris', on 'Sion facta est deserta'. You can't miss it. It's shatteringly beautiful. Ooh and 'consolare' in Tristitia, near the end. It's incredibly moving. Possibly one of my favourite words set to music (especially if you look outside the liturgy)- Ockeghem's Requiem, Offertory (yes I know, liturgy, don't shoot) has a wonderful consolation section which isn't massively dissimilar. To my tonality-shunning, free chant rhythm, chanty mind, anyway. (I read about Byrd's use of root position harmony today, and it felt very, very strange. Harmony is for polyphony, which doesn't exist yet, surely...)
Evidently I can't write about happy music. I've also been humming bits of chant, mostly Mozarabic and from medieval liturgical music dramas, on my long train journeys today (Oxford day, because Bristol is a land without books). Lenten Preces and Rachel's lament from Fleury.
Must say, this recording of the '89 Cantiones Sacrae (New College, with Higginbottom) is gorgeous. Quite slow, and real awareness of the heaviness of the text. Or this could just be me being very, very tired and emotionally compensating for being booky all day. Adorno on the bus before 9 was a bad bad plan. He's pretty cold and rational, and I'm into emotional (but rational) musicology if you don't mind. Add in some Schopenhauer just so we're tying ourselves in knots and getting very emotionally involved. And now I will shut up and go to bed.
Evidently I can't write about happy music. I've also been humming bits of chant, mostly Mozarabic and from medieval liturgical music dramas, on my long train journeys today (Oxford day, because Bristol is a land without books). Lenten Preces and Rachel's lament from Fleury.
Must say, this recording of the '89 Cantiones Sacrae (New College, with Higginbottom) is gorgeous. Quite slow, and real awareness of the heaviness of the text. Or this could just be me being very, very tired and emotionally compensating for being booky all day. Adorno on the bus before 9 was a bad bad plan. He's pretty cold and rational, and I'm into emotional (but rational) musicology if you don't mind. Add in some Schopenhauer just so we're tying ourselves in knots and getting very emotionally involved. And now I will shut up and go to bed.