CAPPELLA MARIANA
Daniel ELGERSMA | countertenor
Vojtěch SEMERÁD | tenor, artistic director
Tomáš LAJTKEP | tenor
Tomáš KRÁL | baritone
Jaromír NOSEK | bass

 
Many composers of the past centuries have been attracted by the poetic beauty, complex allegorical meanings and sensuous language of the Song of Songs from the Old-Testament.

For us, too, these texts have been a rich source of inspiration, reflection and interpretation guidelines.

The prevailing oscillation of meaning and content of the Song of Songs has been captured differently by various composers. Palestrina’s style verging on the madrigal has been my foremost model in preparing this programme. The location where we recorded the project has also been carefully chosen. In the chapel consecrated to Saint Mary, at the place of pilgrimage in Paray-le-Monial in the heart of Burgudy where Renaissance polyphony had its roots, this music is still very much at home today.

The Song of Songs is also a story of a man meeting a woman. The love poetry of the Old-Testament Book of Solomon was transformed by the medieval allegorics into the image of Saint Mary which has been recast in our programme into a chequered image of Renaissance music and its beauty.

Five men and fathers here sing the narrative that is a celebration of the beauty and gracefulness of a woman but also of the power and merits of the male element.

CD can be bought in the distribution of Et’Cetera Records KTC1602
 

 

Recorded in La Chapelle de Romay, Paray-le-Monial, August 16-18, 2017.
Recording director: Yannick Willox
Et’Cetera Records KTC1602