Pedro de Escobar, Ensemble Cantus Figuratus, Dominique Vellard - Missa In Granada

Published Thursday 18th June 2015
Pedro de Escobar, Ensemble Cantus Figuratus, Dominique Vellard - Missa In Granada
Pedro de Escobar, Ensemble Cantus Figuratus, Dominique Vellard  - Missa In Granada

STYLE: Choral
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 157564-
LABEL: Glossa Cabinet GCDC80015
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Pedro de Escobar, also known as Pedro del Puerto and Pedro de Porto, was one of the leading Iberian composers of his day although there is now as much uncertainty around his dates as there is his name. He was born in Porto between 1465 and 1470 and died in Evora after 1535 and perhaps as late as 1554. What is more certain is that he was employed by Queen Isabella of Castille from 1489. This CD, previously released on the Christophorus label, is a reconstruction of what a Mass in Granada around the year 1520 may have sounded like. We open with a motet by Escobar's Spanish contemporary Francisco de PeƱalosa who also supplies two further motets which, alternating with passages of Gregorian chant, are interspersed between the movements of Escobar's own setting. The end result sounds and feels authentic, helped by the accompanying consort of period wind instrumentalists. If you enjoy what Josquin and De La Rue were doing further north then you will certainly appreciate this excursion into the Iberian peninsula. While the end result is certainly of academic interest for all would-be time travellers (and director Dominique Vellard is to be commended for his attention to detail) this was actually far more enjoyable than I expected. The move between chant and polyphony and the singing is of a high standard and given that this is a mid-price re-issue 'Missa In Granada' is worth investigating.

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