Stile Antico Does it Again!, June 4, 2008

Their first cd - Music for Compline - introduced a young Renaissance ensemble capable of creating vocal harmonies of pristine beauty while obviously relishing the musical perfection they created with a joy bordering on ecstasy: perfect for deeply religious music. Their striking ability to convey the ecstatic religious vision is what made that initial release so memorable. Their second CD release is an even deeper, more personal exploration of the fascinating leitmotif that distinguished the Music for Compline.The Elizabethan era was marked by religious turmoil that roiled the realm: the Catholicism of the late Queen Mary, now officially suppressed under Elizabeth, was still selectively tolerated, producing profound social tensions that were reflected in the lives and music of two of England's finest composers, William Byrd and Thomas Tallis. Byrd's Catholicism is powerfully evident in his Motets, which were written for recusant Catholics, practicing their faith in secret,...

I thoroughly enjoyed Stile Antico's previous album, "Music for Compline," and was delighted when I found out about their new release, "Heavenly Harmonies." Fans of the group's previous album will not be disappointed in this one, which definitely lives up to the title of "Heavenly Harmonies."The tracks alternate between selections from Archbishop Parker's Psalter by Tallis and motets by Byrd. Tallis originally wrote the psalm-tune settings as functional church pieces, and they usually don't have much inspirational power. Stile Antico, however, has an uncanny ability to breathe new life into old music. They are a group of around 13 young singers with no conductor, and their fresh perspective on early music makes listening to it a pleasure. The Byrd motets are similarly well-performed.In my review of "Music for Compline," I gave lots of praise and favorable comparisons of Stile Antico to the Tallis Scholars, which need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say that...

These are good performances in a terrific acoustic. The CD Layer is terrific but the SACD 5.0 layer is phenomenal. The disc lags a bit through the duration. The first cuts are well worth the price. Their Music for Compline disc is more captivating but may just be my personal sensibilities.