Description
Uncover the musical riches of Spain's Golden Age with Missa super octo tonos, the latest release from the Cathedralis label of Salamanca's Cathedral. This recording is part of an ongoing and vital mission to rediscover the works of Sebastian de Vivanco (ca. 1553-1622), an emblematic composer and former Chapelmaster whose music has been unjustly overlooked. Vivanco's works, and all his printed music, were published by the printer Susana Munoz, who, alongside her husband Artus Tavernier, founded a firm that came to dominate the printing of sacred music in Spain's Golden Age. This CD is also a tribute to her as one of the most important figures in 16th-century Spanish printing. Following the success of a previous volume, this album represents the second release by Cathedralis dedicated to the magnificent polyphony of Vivanco, performed with a profound commitment to historical authenticity. At the heart of this project lies an extraordinary collaboration between three internationally acclaimed ensembles: the eight vocal polyphonists of Sourcework, the plainchant specialists of Schola Antiqua, and the instrumental ministriles (minstrels) of La Danserye. Sharing the unique practice of interpreting directly from original choirbooks--without a conductor, measure numbers, or rehearsal letters--these artists recreate an imagined liturgy that would have opened the academic year in 17th-century Salamanca. The performance is a historical reflection of cathedral music chapels, where ministriles doubled or substituted human voices, providing a powerful and varied sonic palette with instruments like shawms, sackbuts, and a consort of recorders for the motets. This extraordinary musical vision has been captured in the very place where Vivanco lived and worked: the Old Salamanca Cathedral, where the composer's mortal remains also lie. The album presents Vivanco's Missa super octo tonos--a subtle, compelling, and expertly wrought work--alongside a selection of motets, most of which are receiving their first commercial recordings. Experience this essential piece of Spanish musical heritage, brought to life with exceptional quality and scholarly dedication.
