This album, the first of a planned series of twelve intended to record all of Morales’s Masses and Magnificats, begins with the Missa Mille regretz, in six voices. It is his best-known Mass today, probably because it is based on a famous song attributed (rightly or wrongly—there is some debate) to none other than Josquin des…
A choirboy at the cathedral at Ciudad Rodrigo, the young Juan Esquivel (c1560-1630) was taught by Juan Navarro who had also taught the young Victoria and Vivanco. Esquivel went on to become one of the greatest Spanish composers of the Golden Age though until recently he languished in the shadow of the more famous Morales,…
Conducted by Robert Hollingworth, we perform his Missa Assumpsit Jesus in the context of Mass for the Feast of the Transfiguration. There are also some gorgeous Marian motets (Surge propera, Assumpta est Maria, Veni dilecte mi) and we finish with a world premiere recording of his Magnificat primi toni.
Bernardino de Ribera (c1520-1580+) was maestro de capilla at Ávila cathedral where he was the first teacher of Tomás Luis de Victoria and Sebastián de Vivanco. He later became director of music at Toledo cathedral. The major manuscript source of his music was compiled in 1570 in Toledo, but was heavily vandalised in the 18th…