Portuguese music enjoyed its most spectacular flowering in the early seventeenth century. Many of the greatest composers were gathered in the capital Lisbon, and this was a period when many Portuguese musicians also made their careers in Spain, which was then linked to Portugal politically. This recording presents masterpieces of Portuguese polyphony from Lisbon and Granada brought to light by the choir’s director, Owen Rees. The Lisbon composers represented are Duarte Lobo (chapelmaster at the Cathedral), Pedro de Cristo (chapelmaster at the Monastery of São Vicente), and Manuel Rodrigues Coelho (organist at the Royal Chapel). Lobo’s beautiful and colourful four-voice Missa de beata Maria virgine is at the centre of the recording. We also give a picture of the rich variety of music adorning Vespers in Portugal at this time, including a thrilling two-choir setting of the psalm Dixit Dominus by Pedro de Cristo, Lobo’s dramatic two-choir treatment of the marian antiphon Alma redemptoris mater, and other psalms and canticles combining chant, polyphony, and organ music. The music of Manuel Leitão de Aviles – a Portuguese composer who directed the music at Granada’s royal chapel – remained in obscurity until brought to light by Owen Rees. Here we sing his works for Holy Week, including a fine set of Lamentations, and a celebratory motet for St Nicholas.
This is the fourth disc recorded for Guild by the Choir of the Queen’s College, Oxford, and forms a companion to Paradisi portas: Music from 17th-century Portugal, released in 2005. Owen Rees is at the forefront of research and performance of Iberian polyphony.