CD REVIEW: HARMONIA CAELESTIS:
16th century Spanish Motets for Voice & Lute

CD REVIEW: HARMONIA CAELESTIS: 16th century Spanish Motets for Voice & Lute
published in the October 26, 2010 edition of ClevelandClassical.com
by Daniel Hathaway & Mike Telin

Vocalist Donna Stewart and lutenist Ron Andrico, who perform as the Mignarda Lutesong Duo, recently released their seventh CD, Harmonia Caelestis: 16th century Spanish Motets for Voice and Lute. Described as "an extended meditation", Harmonia Caelestis includes motets by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Miguel de Fuenllana, Francisco Guerrero, Enrique de Valderrábano, Cristóbal de Morales and Esteban López Morago as well as a pair each of Gregorian chants and lute arrangements of music by Flemish composers.

In their previous recordings, Stewart and Andrico have visited the demi-mondes of the 16th century French Chanson, lute songs and solos for Advent and Christmastide, Chansons and lute music in honor of Francisco Spinacino (celebrating the 500th anniversary of the first printed book of lute music), 16th century songs to poetry attributed to Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, Airs de Court from 17th century France, and (their first album) a demo recording of Renaissance English and French music (plus an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem set by Ron Andrico).

Harmonia Caelestis takes the listener to the special, austere realm of 16th century Spain -- to a time not too long after the Spanish Inquisition, and an era when one of the hot religious topics was whether the Vatican should put its seal of approval on the doctrine of The Immaculate Conception.

There is great beauty in the starkness of these motets, which have been arranged (or as keyboardists, lutenists and guitarists refer to the process, "entabulated") from what were polyphonic works, usually for four or more voices, to works for solo voice with the quiet but eloquent accompaniment of the lute. As the liner notes point out, these arrangements deconstruct the originals to the point where the text comes through clearly, lines are made more transparent, and rhythmic nuances and articulation stand out in bolder relief.

Anyone who has any doubts about the successfulness of arranging polyphony for a single voice and plucked instrument will be convinced from the opening track of this album, Tomás Luis de Victoria's well-known (both as motet and parody mass) O magnum mysterium. Nothing seems to be missing and the piece has been transformed into something newly beautiful in the process.

As we have come to expect, Stewart and Andrico are marvelous as a team, delivering evocative and highly nuanced performances of well-chosen repertory. This soothing and centering recording, recorded in an old church in Newfield, NY, can serve as an occasion for contemplation, meditation, or just provide mesmerizing background music. One could listen to them for hours on end.

Harmonia Caelestis is dedicated to the priests and Schola of Immaculate Conception Church in Cleveland where Stewart and Andrico met and regularly sang Gregorian chant and polyphony before moving out of state. A special round of thanks in the CD leaflet goes to Frederick Lautzenheiser, music director at Immaculate Conception, and to arts patron and benefactor Russell Rucky.

Mignarda will celebrate the release of Harmonia Caelestis with a concert on Friday, October 29 at 8 pm at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in South Euclid. See the Concert Listings for details. The CD will be available at the concert and also from Mignarda's website.

CD REVIEW: HARMONIA CAELESTIS: 16th century Spanish motets for voice and lute
published in Lute News, newsletter of the Lute Society (UK), Number 96, December 2010
by Monica Hall

Transcribing sacred polyphony either to be played on the lute or vihuela alone or performed as a solo song with accompaniment was a time-honoured tradition in the 16th century and works of this kind actually form a substantial part of the repertoire. The duo have followed in this tradition by making their own arrangements of Spanish motets by composers active slightly later than most of those represented in the vihuela books. As Ron Andrico points out in his liner notes, the fast-decaying strings of the lute make it impossible to sustain the individual lines of complex polyphony so that singling out one part gives a prominence to the words which is lacking in a choral performance. Arrangements of works by Francisco Guerrero take pride of place including his Marian motets 'Ave Virgo sanctissima' and 'Ave Regina caelorum', but two of Victoria's much-loved Christmas motets, 'O magnum mysterium' and 'Senex puerum' are included together with an unusual and beautiful setting of Psalm 24 by Portugese composer Esteban López Morago. The vocal pieces are offset with arrangements of mass movements by Josquin from the vihuela books of Fuenllana and Valderrabano but two items from non-Spanish sources are included, Isaac's 'Benedictus' intabulated by Neusidler and Josquin's motet 'Inviolata integra' intabulated by Gerle.

I have always admired Stewart's beautiful voice but I thought she surpassed herself in this repertoire which obviously means a great deal to her. She captures the intense religious fervour of the music simply by letting the words speak for themselves with subtle variations in dynamics, ranging from an introspective pianissimo in the reflective pieces to some ecstatic alleluias in the more joyful ones. Her intonation is always true and her way of emphasising important words in the text by approaching the note from just below is very effective. Clearly she is the star of the show but Andrico is a sensitive and supportive accompanist and comes into his own in some beautifully measured performances of the instrumental works. Amongst these 'Inviolata integra' with its exquisitely ornamented melodic line and sonorous harmony and Valderrabano's 'Ave maris stella' with its more austere part writing stand out and work particularly well as solos.

The perfect meditation for the run-up to Christmas and to chill out to afterwards.