Singing Into Space: Spatially Conceived Music for Men’s Voices
The two composers heard on this album, Giovanni Gabrieli (1553–1612) and Giovanni Bonato (born in 1961) have more in common than their first names: both hail from the Veneto in north-east Italy – there is no documentation of Gabrieli’s birth, but he was probably Venetian, and Bonato was born in nearby Schio. Their music, too, is conceived in terms of its sound in space, with Gabrieli using the cori spezzati that sang from the opposing galleries of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and Bonato employing cori spazzializati to build a spatial dimension into the music itself. Juxtaposed, their styles offer a striking contrast, with Gabrieli’s bold declamations set against Bonato’s shifting, timeless suspensions.
Estonian National Male Choir
Mikk Üleoja, conductor
Giovanni Bonato
- Tenebrae factae sunt (2005)* (5:27)
Giovanni Gabrieli
- Exude Deus (publ. 1597) (3:28)
Giovanni Bonato
- Crux fidelis (2001) (9:21)
Giovanni Gabrieli arr. Kruusimäe
- Regina caeli (publ. 1597)** (2:05)
Giovanni Bonato
- O lilium convallium for two cellos and male choir (2008) (8:12)
Giovanni Gabrieli arr. Kruusimäe
- Maria virgo (publ. 1597)** (3:45)
Giovanni Bonato
- Stetit angelus (1995) (11:39)
Giovanni Gabrieli arr. Kruusimäe
- Buccinate in neomenia tuba (publ. 1615)** (3:26)
Giovanni Bonato
- Signum magnum for cello and male choir (2005)* (1:32)
- Genuit puerpera for male choir and tenor soloists (2009) (2:50)
*First Recordings
**First Recordings in these Versions
Fanfare :
‘The performances are splendid, all serving as demonstration of the strong choral tradition in Estonia. […] As usual, Toccata’s production standards are of very high quality. Full texts and translations, excellent notes, and clear, full-bodied recorded sound.’
—Henry Fogel, Fanfare