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Press Releases
GRAMMY-Nominated Ensemble New York Polyphony Announces Release of 'Roma Æterna'
Contact: Paula Mlyn, A440 Arts Group, (212)924-3829, paula@a440arts.com
NEW YORK, NY – On August 12, 2016, BIS Records releases "Roma æterna" [SACD BIS-2203] by two-time GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble New York Polyphony. With their fourth album on the renowned Swedish label, the all-male vocal quartet takes a pilgrimage to the 'Eternal City' of Rome in a program crowned by two masterworks of the High Renaissance by the greatest composers of the era: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94) and Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611).
The quartet’s bass, Craig Phillips, comments "The music of Palestrina and Victoria adds up to so much more than just notes on a page. There's a human depth and dimension to it that is unavoidably moving, whether you’re religious or not. And when all the voices combine, it's absolutely glorious."
Palestrina's monumental "Missa Papae Marcelli" (Pope Marcellus Mass), is the centerpiece of the album. It is arguably the most famous musical work of the Renaissance, renowned as much for its technical brilliance as for the myth that it single-handedly rescued Western music from the ravages of papal censorship. For their performance, New York Polyphony is joined by Tim Keeler (countertenor), Andrew Fuchs (tenor) and Jonathan Woody (bass-baritone). Notably, "Roma æterna" marks the first recording of the "Missa Papae Marcelli" for solo men's voices in nearly 40 years.
Mr. Phillips continues, "As a young singer, my introduction to the Pope Marcellus Mass was through a recording made in the 1970s by the English early music ensemble Pro Cantione Antiqua. I listened to the record so many times, I nearly wore it out. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would one day get an opportunity to record a new interpretation with a vocal group of my own. It makes for a wonderful sense of continuity. Now we can pass the torch!"
The second half of the program continues with Victoria's lyric but comparatively austere "Missa O quam gloriosum" for four voices. Companion pieces include the opening work, "Regina cæli" by Francisco Guerrero (1528-99), two settings of the motet "Gaudent in cœlis" by both Palestrina and Victoria, Palestrina’s "Tu es Petrus" for six voices (also featuring Mr. Keeler, Mr. Fuchs, and Mr. Woody) and the closing selection, his famous "Sicut cervus/Sitivit anima mea."
The output of Palestrina and Victoria has come to be viewed as illustrative of Renaissance ideals. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is considered today one of the true masters of the polyphonic style, but he was also held in great esteem in his own lifetime. His impressive output comprises 104 certainly attributed Masses, over 375 motets, 68 offertories, at least 65 hymns, 35 Magnificats, four (possibly five) sets of Lamentations, and over 140 madrigals, both secular and spiritual. Without question, the "Missa Papae Marcelli" is his best-known work. While its first publication was in 1567, the actual date of its composition has been the object of much discussion on account of the work’s supposed role in saving polyphonic Church music from prohibition in the wake of demands for less complicated music during the Counter-Reformation. While this myth has long been disproved, the work's significance is undiminished.
To hear the “Gloria” from Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8fFxxx6yg4
Tomás Luis de Victoria is correctly viewed as the most outstanding Spanish composer of the late Renaissance. After holding numerous prestigious posts, he succeeded Palestrina in 1571 as chapel master of the Roman Seminary. Victoria was enormously successful in Rome, but he was hardly prolific. Only twenty masses survive in comparison to Palestrina's 104. The "Missa O quam gloriosum" is a based on the composer's own motet published in 1572. Its simplicity stands in contrast to Palestrina's grand Marcellus Mass for six voices. Though understated and concise, Victoria achieves great beauty in this shorter work with four voices.
"The decision to pair Victoria's "Missa O quam gloriosum" with the Palestrina was intentional. The difference in proportions and gesture between the two masses is striking, but the lyricism they have in common ties it all together. It's a satisfying balance,” Mr. Phillips says.
ABOUT NEW YORK POLYPHONY
New York Polyphony is regarded as one of the finest vocal chamber ensembles in the world. Praised for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” (National Public Radio), the four men apply a distinctly modern touch to repertoire that ranges from austere medieval melodies to cutting-edge contemporary compositions. Their dedication to innovative programming, as well as a focus on rare and rediscovered works, has not only earned New York Polyphony two GRAMMY® nominations and wide acclaim, but also helped to move early music into the classical mainstream.
Commissioning new works has been central to the mission of New York Polyphony since their founding in 2006. Both in performance and on recording, the ensemble has demonstrated a commitment to presenting contemporary compositions that explore the boundaries between ancient and modern music. They have forged relationships with numerous composers, including established artists such as Richard Rodney Bennett, Jonathan Berger and Jackson Hill, emerging talents Bora Yoon and Gregory Brown, and prominent figures such as Gabriel Jackson and Ivan Moody. Most recently, New York Polyphony premiered “Amid a crowd of stars” composed for the ensemble and the Trinity University Chamber Singers by Norwegian composer Andrew Smith.
The ensemble’s growing discography includes two GRAMMY®-nominated releases and albums that have topped the “best of” lists of The New Yorker, Gramophone, and BBC Music Magazine. Called a “spacious, radiant retreat” by The New York Times, their 2015 release, "Sing thee Nowell," scored New York Polyphony its second GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Chamber Music/ Small Ensemble Performance category.
With the 2013 release of "Times go by Turns," the ensemble’s fourth album, New York Polyphony continued “to claim a spot as one of the finest small vocal groups performing today.” (Audiophile Audition) Commended as “a complex, clear-eyed yet still painfully beautiful tapestry,” (Gramophone) "Times go by Turns" amassed substantial critical acclaim. In addition to being named one of iTunes 10 Best Classical Releases of 2013, the album garnered a GRAMMY® nomination.
New York Polyphony released "endBeginning" on BIS Records in early 2012. Featuring rare and never-before recorded works from the Franco-Flemish Renaissance, the album was hailed as a “gorgeous, reflective program” by National Public Radio and selected as one of the ‘Top Ten Notable Classical Music Recordings of 2012' by The New Yorker.
“A stunning tour through chant, polyphony and renaissance harmonies,” (Minnesota Public Radio) New York Polyphony’s 2010 effort "Tudor City" spent three weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard classical album chart. It has been featured on Danish Public Radio, American Public Radio and NPR’s All Things Considered.
New York Polyphony’s debut album "I sing the birth" was released in 2007. An intimate meditation on the Christmas season, the disc garnered unanimous praise. Gramophone named it “one of the season’s best,” BBC Music Magazine selected it as ‘Editor’s Christmas Choice’, and Classic FM Magazine (UK) deemed it “a disc for all seasons.”
New York Polyphony has toured extensively, participating in major concert series and festivals around the world. Highlights include Miller Theatre at Columbia University Early Music Series; Rheingau Musik Festival, Thüringer Bachwochen (Germany); Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht (Netherlands); Stiftskonzerte Oberösterreich (Austria); Festival de Música de Morelia (Mexico); Elora Festival (Canada); and Choral at Cadogan Hall in London. They have been featured on Performance Today for American Public Media, Footprints to Paradise: A Medieval Christmas for Public Radio International, and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. In December 2011, New York Polyphony made its national television debut on The Martha Stewart Show.
Recent engagements include debut performances at London’s Wigmore Hall and The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, residencies at Dartmouth College and Stanford University, and appearances under the aegis of the Utrecht Early Music Festival.
NEW YORK POLYPHONY is Geoffrey Williams, countertenor; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Christopher Dylan Herbert, baritone; Craig Phillips, bass.
NEW YORK, NY – On August 12, 2016, BIS Records releases "Roma æterna" [SACD BIS-2203] by two-time GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble New York Polyphony. With their fourth album on the renowned Swedish label, the all-male vocal quartet takes a pilgrimage to the 'Eternal City' of Rome in a program crowned by two masterworks of the High Renaissance by the greatest composers of the era: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94) and Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611).
The quartet’s bass, Craig Phillips, comments "The music of Palestrina and Victoria adds up to so much more than just notes on a page. There's a human depth and dimension to it that is unavoidably moving, whether you’re religious or not. And when all the voices combine, it's absolutely glorious."
Palestrina's monumental "Missa Papae Marcelli" (Pope Marcellus Mass), is the centerpiece of the album. It is arguably the most famous musical work of the Renaissance, renowned as much for its technical brilliance as for the myth that it single-handedly rescued Western music from the ravages of papal censorship. For their performance, New York Polyphony is joined by Tim Keeler (countertenor), Andrew Fuchs (tenor) and Jonathan Woody (bass-baritone). Notably, "Roma æterna" marks the first recording of the "Missa Papae Marcelli" for solo men's voices in nearly 40 years.
Mr. Phillips continues, "As a young singer, my introduction to the Pope Marcellus Mass was through a recording made in the 1970s by the English early music ensemble Pro Cantione Antiqua. I listened to the record so many times, I nearly wore it out. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would one day get an opportunity to record a new interpretation with a vocal group of my own. It makes for a wonderful sense of continuity. Now we can pass the torch!"
The second half of the program continues with Victoria's lyric but comparatively austere "Missa O quam gloriosum" for four voices. Companion pieces include the opening work, "Regina cæli" by Francisco Guerrero (1528-99), two settings of the motet "Gaudent in cœlis" by both Palestrina and Victoria, Palestrina’s "Tu es Petrus" for six voices (also featuring Mr. Keeler, Mr. Fuchs, and Mr. Woody) and the closing selection, his famous "Sicut cervus/Sitivit anima mea."
The output of Palestrina and Victoria has come to be viewed as illustrative of Renaissance ideals. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is considered today one of the true masters of the polyphonic style, but he was also held in great esteem in his own lifetime. His impressive output comprises 104 certainly attributed Masses, over 375 motets, 68 offertories, at least 65 hymns, 35 Magnificats, four (possibly five) sets of Lamentations, and over 140 madrigals, both secular and spiritual. Without question, the "Missa Papae Marcelli" is his best-known work. While its first publication was in 1567, the actual date of its composition has been the object of much discussion on account of the work’s supposed role in saving polyphonic Church music from prohibition in the wake of demands for less complicated music during the Counter-Reformation. While this myth has long been disproved, the work's significance is undiminished.
To hear the “Gloria” from Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8fFxxx6yg4
Tomás Luis de Victoria is correctly viewed as the most outstanding Spanish composer of the late Renaissance. After holding numerous prestigious posts, he succeeded Palestrina in 1571 as chapel master of the Roman Seminary. Victoria was enormously successful in Rome, but he was hardly prolific. Only twenty masses survive in comparison to Palestrina's 104. The "Missa O quam gloriosum" is a based on the composer's own motet published in 1572. Its simplicity stands in contrast to Palestrina's grand Marcellus Mass for six voices. Though understated and concise, Victoria achieves great beauty in this shorter work with four voices.
"The decision to pair Victoria's "Missa O quam gloriosum" with the Palestrina was intentional. The difference in proportions and gesture between the two masses is striking, but the lyricism they have in common ties it all together. It's a satisfying balance,” Mr. Phillips says.
ABOUT NEW YORK POLYPHONY
New York Polyphony is regarded as one of the finest vocal chamber ensembles in the world. Praised for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” (National Public Radio), the four men apply a distinctly modern touch to repertoire that ranges from austere medieval melodies to cutting-edge contemporary compositions. Their dedication to innovative programming, as well as a focus on rare and rediscovered works, has not only earned New York Polyphony two GRAMMY® nominations and wide acclaim, but also helped to move early music into the classical mainstream.
Commissioning new works has been central to the mission of New York Polyphony since their founding in 2006. Both in performance and on recording, the ensemble has demonstrated a commitment to presenting contemporary compositions that explore the boundaries between ancient and modern music. They have forged relationships with numerous composers, including established artists such as Richard Rodney Bennett, Jonathan Berger and Jackson Hill, emerging talents Bora Yoon and Gregory Brown, and prominent figures such as Gabriel Jackson and Ivan Moody. Most recently, New York Polyphony premiered “Amid a crowd of stars” composed for the ensemble and the Trinity University Chamber Singers by Norwegian composer Andrew Smith.
The ensemble’s growing discography includes two GRAMMY®-nominated releases and albums that have topped the “best of” lists of The New Yorker, Gramophone, and BBC Music Magazine. Called a “spacious, radiant retreat” by The New York Times, their 2015 release, "Sing thee Nowell," scored New York Polyphony its second GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Chamber Music/ Small Ensemble Performance category.
With the 2013 release of "Times go by Turns," the ensemble’s fourth album, New York Polyphony continued “to claim a spot as one of the finest small vocal groups performing today.” (Audiophile Audition) Commended as “a complex, clear-eyed yet still painfully beautiful tapestry,” (Gramophone) "Times go by Turns" amassed substantial critical acclaim. In addition to being named one of iTunes 10 Best Classical Releases of 2013, the album garnered a GRAMMY® nomination.
New York Polyphony released "endBeginning" on BIS Records in early 2012. Featuring rare and never-before recorded works from the Franco-Flemish Renaissance, the album was hailed as a “gorgeous, reflective program” by National Public Radio and selected as one of the ‘Top Ten Notable Classical Music Recordings of 2012' by The New Yorker.
“A stunning tour through chant, polyphony and renaissance harmonies,” (Minnesota Public Radio) New York Polyphony’s 2010 effort "Tudor City" spent three weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard classical album chart. It has been featured on Danish Public Radio, American Public Radio and NPR’s All Things Considered.
New York Polyphony’s debut album "I sing the birth" was released in 2007. An intimate meditation on the Christmas season, the disc garnered unanimous praise. Gramophone named it “one of the season’s best,” BBC Music Magazine selected it as ‘Editor’s Christmas Choice’, and Classic FM Magazine (UK) deemed it “a disc for all seasons.”
New York Polyphony has toured extensively, participating in major concert series and festivals around the world. Highlights include Miller Theatre at Columbia University Early Music Series; Rheingau Musik Festival, Thüringer Bachwochen (Germany); Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht (Netherlands); Stiftskonzerte Oberösterreich (Austria); Festival de Música de Morelia (Mexico); Elora Festival (Canada); and Choral at Cadogan Hall in London. They have been featured on Performance Today for American Public Media, Footprints to Paradise: A Medieval Christmas for Public Radio International, and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. In December 2011, New York Polyphony made its national television debut on The Martha Stewart Show.
Recent engagements include debut performances at London’s Wigmore Hall and The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, residencies at Dartmouth College and Stanford University, and appearances under the aegis of the Utrecht Early Music Festival.
NEW YORK POLYPHONY is Geoffrey Williams, countertenor; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Christopher Dylan Herbert, baritone; Craig Phillips, bass.
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