 
Missa Mexicana
Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 14
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 On: 2007-07-26
I heard a review with sound clips from this album on NPR and rushed to Amazon to order it immediately! I was not disappointed. The aural blend of old/new world music is evocative of Mayan, Incan, and Aztec images overlain with Caribbean and African spiritual dances forming a cathedral altarpiece. What a feast!
Melody, instrumentation, harmony, rhythm, poetry - its all there in combinations unheard of before, new and ancient at once. This is how music SHOULD sound!
On: 2006-09-26
This program performed by Andrew Lawrence-King and the Harp Consort is built around Juan Gutierrez de Padillas (c. 1590-1664) Missa Ego flos campi. Padilla served as maestro of the Puebla Cathedral in Mexico from 1629 until his death, the choir of which was considered to be finest in all of Spains colonies.
On this release, Andrew Lawrence-King has paired each of the Mass five movements with one or more dance pieces either composed by Padilla or another contemporary composer. This purpose of this approach is to bring together Padillas vibrant Mass, which itself is permeated with dance elements, with the actual dance pieces (ex: villancicos) that influenced Padilla. In addition to impacting the style of Padillas sacred works, such dance pieces were actually included on church programs in 17th-century Mexico. Church authorities were a bit ambivalent about the inclusion of such dance pieces on church programs, as they were seen as being "excessively arousing" by some, but others noted that such pieces brought people into church which would not otherwise attend.
Despite being relatively unknown today, Padilla was obviously a first-rate composer. What makes his music remarkably fascinating is how naturally he combines Spanish and Italian stylistic elements with the harmonies and rhythms of the New World, in addition to African music brought to Central America by slaves. Padillas "Negrilla" (Track 10) for instance, incorporates African rhythms and drums with elements of the European Renaissance. The end result is mesmerizing, especially the complicated and thrilling conclusion. The "A la xácara xacarilla" (Track 7) combines native percussion instruments with a bajón (precursor to the bassoon) and guitars in an intoxicating dance melody. The vocalists in particular do an outstanding job in breathing life into this piece through their enthusiastic and characteristic singing. The final piece on the program, the "Guaracha," itself alone is worth the price of the CD. More than being "excessively arousing" this piece, employing virtually every music instrument known, is downright exhilarating.
The ensemble performing this music is incredibly varied, and includes a large contingent of Mexican baroque guitars, a sackbut, a shawm, a Spanish harp and a percussion section consisting of all types of drums, a rainstick and even a conch shell. The vocalists and instrumentalists provide very enthusiastic and characteristic performances. The sound quality here is audiophile quality.
In short, this disc belongs in any collection of Early Music, but those out there who are not fans of the genre would find much to like here as well. This is fantastic music, which is marvelously performed and recorded. A winner on all accounts.
Highest recommendation!!
TT: 69:11
***
As a side note, those who are enthusiastic about this CD should also check out the Villancicos y Danzas Criollas released by Alia Vox and Moon, Sun & All Things released by Hyperion.
On: 2006-09-18
At the risk of exposing myself as a true music dork Im happy to say that I am inspired by the amount of scholarship behind this recording! More important however is that the music making on this disc cannot be accused of being too dry. No, Andrew Lawrence-King and his Harp Concert et.al. are obviously excited about this program. Their enthusiasm is contagious. The balance between sacred, secular and instrumental provides a great overview of 17th century Spanish music of the New World. This is the type of recording you can listen to from start to finish and then repeat. Highly recommended.
On: 2005-05-23
New-World [Hispanic] music from the 16th-18th centuries has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years, and a number of excellent recordings have been released, of which this is indeed a superlative example. Andrew Lawrence-King and the Harp Consort present a vividly atmospheric programme which is centred around the Missa Ego Flos Campi by one of the leading composers of the period, Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (c.1590-1664), the maestro de capilla at Puebla Cathedral. Padillas Mass is complemented with examples of secular music by his contemporaries - villancicos, xacaras, etc.
In truth, it is perhaps difficult to know how representative of 17th century Mexico this recording is, and for the purist there are certain issues which may raise a few eyebrows...[Padillas 42-part choir is reduced to a handful of soloists; Santiago de Murcias Cumbees - primarily intended for guitar - are arranged for harp and interspersed with pseudo-African scat-syllabic improvisations, rendering the notated golpes practically inaudible; Juan Cabanilles Corrente Italiana - originally for organ - is transfered to a continuo group of harp, bajon, guitars and percussion; etc....]
Yet given the strength of the performances, these musicological quibbles perhaps loose their significance. These are truly stylish interpretations combining flair with panache, and the line up includes some excellent (and well-known) exponents of early music.
Incidentally, if youve enjoyed this recording, you should also explore similar (if not even better - if thats possible!) ones by Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI [Villancicos y danzas criollas, Alia Vox AV9834] and Gabriel Garrido & Ensemble Elyma [in particular Fiesta Criolla, K617139 and Juan de Araujo - LOr et LArgent du Haut-Perou, K617124].
On: 2005-05-22
New-World [Hispanic] music from the 16th-18th centuries has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years, and a number of excellent recordings have been released, of which this is indeed a superlative example. Andrew Lawrence-King and the Harp Consort present a vividly atmospheric programme which is centred around the Missa Ego Flos Campi by one of the leading composers of the period, Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (c.1590-1664), the maestro de capilla at Puebla Cathedral. Padillas Mass is complemented with examples of secular music by his contemporaries - villancicos, xacaras, etc.
In truth, it is perhaps difficult to know how representative of 17th century Mexico this recording is, and for the purist there are certain issues which may raise a few eyebrows...[Padillas 42-part choir is reduced to a handful of soloists; Santiago de Murcias Cumbees - primarily intended for guitar - are arranged for harp and interspersed with pseudo-African scat-syllabic improvisations, rendering the notated golpes practically inaudible; Juan Cabanilles Corrente Italiana - originally for organ - is transfered to a continuo group of harp, bajon, guitars and percussion; etc....]
Yet given the strength of the performances, these musicological quibbles perhaps loose their significance. These are truly stylish interpretations combining flair with panache, and the line up includes some excellent (and well-known) exponents of early music.
Incidentally, if youve enjoyed this recording, you should also explore similar (if not even better - if thats possible!) ones by Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI [Villancicos y danzas criollas, Alia Vox AV9834] and Gabriel Garrido & Ensemble Elyma [in particular Fiesta Criolla, K617139 and Juan de Araujo - LOr et LArgent du Haut-Perou, K617124].
On: 2005-02-02
The title says it all. I cannot add to the other laudatory reviews. Pay no attention whatsoever to the negative review. The writer obviously has no comprehension of what music is about. This is fabulous Baroque music with Latin and African flavoring. We who love Baroque music are indebted to to Mr. Andrew Lawrence-King for making this music available to us. I truly love the European Baroque and own a great many CDs of it, including some of the lesser known names. But it is truly wonderful to expand ones horizons into a hitherto little known area of Baroque music. I am enriched by it and I know you will be also.
On: 2004-01-28
With Missa Mexicana Andrew Lawrence-King and The Harp Consort provide one of the most joyous and thought-provoking discs of early music around. For an album that is crossover in the best sense of the word, they take a 17th century mass by a Mexican composer and juxtapose it with the popular music that inspired it. All of this music is gorgeous, earthy, elegant, sensuous and passionate. Not surprisingly considering that many of the pieces are dances, it will undoubtedly set your toes tapping as well as have you humming. In addition to the standard harps, gambas, bass viols, etc., that one would expect from music of this period, The Harp Consort also includes Mexican guitars, bajons, and even a conch and a rain stick! The playing and the singing are superb, and Lawrence-King not only directs the ensemble but provides wonderful accompaniment on the harp and psaltery. The sheer joy everyone brings to the performance makes it seem like a particularly successful jam session, even though it is obvious just how much hard work and research has been put into it. Mexico in the 1600s was a rich mixture of ethnic groups and cultures, and its music reflects this. The main influence is Spanish Renaissance polyphony (Spain at this time was in its musical golden age - the siglo doro), but there is also help from Portuguese immigrants, Native Mexicans (Mayan), and Africans from the Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Puerto Rico. As well, there is constant tension between the sacred and secular worlds. The core of this recording is a parody mass (that is, the polyphony has been reconstructed from previously written motets) by Juan Gutierrez de Padilla, a Spanish composer who emigrated to Mexico and became the choir director of the Cathedral in Puebla in 1629. This work is radiant and lighthearted and although more formal than the other music on this disc, is still heavily influenced by dance rhythms. Unlike in many mass settings, phrases such as bonae voluntatis, credo and confiteor are repeated as refrains. The accompaniment is also rather spare, relying primarily on guitars with occasional percussion. Each section of the mass is surrounded by popular songs and dances of the time which have lyrics based on religious themes, as was often done at the time to delight the worshipers - and assure their church attendance! Two tenors sing of goldfinches singing softly to the infant sun in Canten los jilguerillos, the vilancico (popular dance) that begins the CD. We later hear examples of one of the most popular musical forms of this time - the xacara, a particular type of vilancico normally in D minor and sung in backstreet Madrid dialects. Jacaras de costa, which includes the aforementioned conch shell and rain stick, is an instrumental variation in a major key and has the same theme as the vocal Los de queren de bon gusto which it leads into. Like A la xacara xacarilla, this xacara, with the singers egging each other on (vaya, vaya! or vaya pues!) to keep dancing and adding more verses, is as much about the pleasure of making music (Look at my nice new xacara which I will sing in Bethlehem!) as it is about the religious symbolism expressed within. Another common style was the Marizapalos, a romance which could have either a secular or sacred theme. Marizapalos a lo humano, a bawdy song about a priests niece who goes to meet her lover, is full of sexual innuendo, but elevates physical love into something holy. In contrast Marizapalos a lo divino speaks of the divine harmony of the seraphim and has a melody very reminiscent of the main theme from Joaquin Rodrigos Fantasia alla gentilhombre - I wouldnt be surprised if it was one of Rodrigos sources! There is also a lovely instrumental variation (Diferencias sobre marizapalos) on this theme. Some of the most interesting music on this disc doesnt have obviously Hispanic origins. The Corriente Italiano, a broad, elegant and courtly instrumental dance of Italian origin, is made Spanish by syncopation, and is my favorite track on the disc. From Africa come Cumbees, a call and response (variations on the word cumbe) puctuated by heavy drums, and the negrilla, A siolo flasiquiyo depicts a group of African musicians who are celebrating the baby Jesus, but have to be careful to not play so loud that they wake Him! Some of the lyrics here are admittedly a bit too minstrel show for 21st century audiences, but the music is still gorgeous, particularly the exuberant refrain Tumbucutu, cutu, cutu. The CD comes to a breathtaking finish with the guaracha Convidando esta noche, where the final, ecstatic Ay, ay, ay! will linger long after it ends. The thick booklet is illustrated with skeletons to recall the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition, and contains full Latin and Spanish texts and English and French translations, as well as websites if you want other languages. Lawrence-King contributes an essay detailing the historical background and structure of the music and lyrics. There is also a CD insert that indicates which musicians are playing in which selections, although it is a pity they do not identify the actual INSTRUMENTS played, as each musician plays several. Missa Mexicana is music-making of the highest integrity and not to be missed. In addition to adventurous classical music lovers, I would also recommend this disc to people coming from the other side, that is those who may not be particularly fond of classical music but who like more traditional Mexican and Latin American sounds. Either way, this is one of the most original, imaginative, and fun discs Ive heard in a long time, and it deserves to be a huge bestseller.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-25
Contrary to impression one would get from Ms. Morans inexplicable review, Mexican music isnt merely Mariachi bands and other such folk music. The Baroque was also alive and well in Mexico and the country developed its own tradition of sacred music. This is an lively collection of Mexican Baroque music, centering around a setting of the mass from Puebla Cathedral. It proves a very interesting mix of European traditions and the traditions and rythmns encountered in Mexico. The recording also sports a nice variety of styles and tempi. The performances are excellent and spirited, musically and technically outstanding.
 On: 2003-04-16
I have explored the great cathedral in Puebla, I have meditated upon the Aztec calendar stone in the Museo de Antropologia, I have attended Mexican weddings and I have studied the native language Nahuatl.This is a European Harp Consort - it is not Mexican. At the least it could have included Mariachi music. It has no sense of time: 1588, 1820, 1917. It cannot tell the difference between Mayan and Toltec. It is a very pleasant album to listen to, but it is NOT Mexican.
On: 2003-04-15
I have explored the great cathedral in Puebla, I have meditated upon the Aztec calendar stone in the Museo de Antropologia, I have attended Mexican weddings and I have studied the native language Nahuatl.This is a European Harp Consort - it is not Mexican. At the least it could have included Mariachi music. It has no sense of time: 1588, 1820, 1917. It cannot tell the difference between Mayan and Toltec. It is a very pleasant album to listen to, but it is NOT Mexican.
On: 2003-01-24
Every once in a while I find recordings that not only feed my sybarite appetite but also inspire me. This is one of them. Flawless musicianship, high quality recording, refreshing theme, and the beautiful music contained in this CD will excite anyone with a thirst for pleasure.
On: 2002-12-15
Intellectual! Sensual! Spiritual!
The music and the performance are utterly Divine.
Missa Mexicana is a feast for the Senses and the Soul.
On a scale of 1 to 5, its a 25 at the very least!
You havent heard anything until youve heard this spectacular artistic program. It can restore ones faith in life!
I will never put it away.
 On: 2002-12-06
I first heard an excerpt from this disc on a Harmonia Mundi sampler I received over the summer. It took me a while to warm up to it, probably because it seemed like an odd combination to me -- a mass with a Latin sound. But once I took the plunge and bought the entire album, I was hooked.This is joyful, exhuberant music. The upbeat sections are teeming with life and transport the listener to a truly blissful level. The slower, more meditative sections are peaceful and enchanting. An interesting aspect of Missa Mexicana is that it tends to defy expectations across the board. After I lent the aforementioned sampler to my sister, she said it was one of her favorite pieces on the disc. I should also mention that the sound quality is flawless. If you have even a passing interest in Latin-oriented music, and love to hear good music played well, pick up this disc. The critics are right. Its fantastic.
On: 2002-12-05
I first heard an excerpt from this disc on a Harmonia Mundi sampler I received over the summer. It took me a while to warm up to it, probably because it seemed like an odd combination to me -- a mass with a Latin sound. But once I took the plunge and bought the entire album, I was hooked.This is joyful, exhuberant music. The upbeat sections are teeming with life and transport the listener to a truly blissful level. The slower, more meditative sections are peaceful and enchanting. An interesting aspect of Missa Mexicana is that it tends to defy expectations across the board. After I lent the aforementioned sampler to my sister, she said it was one of her favorite pieces on the disc. I should also mention that the sound quality is flawless. If you have even a passing interest in Latin-oriented music, and love to hear good music played well, pick up this disc. The critics are right. Its fantastic.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-03
The Harp Consort is just amazing. This is one of my favorite CDs. I saw the consort perform much of this CD in Oaxaca, Mexico--from within the walls of the citys cathedral, Santo Domingo. What an amazing experience, and it is captured here on CD. The recording is soft, so you might have to turn up the volume, but everytime I listen I hear something new that takes me away.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-22
Theres something so haunting about this album. I could listen to it over and over again.
On: 2002-10-18
The Harp Consort are always pretty amazing (c.f. their earlier CD "Spanish Dances: Selections from Ruiz de Ribayas Luz y Norte") but they are perhaps at their finest here. A powerful brew of sacred and profane: the liturgical music of the Latin mass, Renaissance Spanish/Mexican courtly and popular dance and song, and the music of the African slaves brought to Mexico: all these things come together with magnificent results. Wonderful melodies (youll walk round all day with the Marizapolas variations in your head, youll want to dance to the Jacaras); exquisite strings (Andrew Lawrence-Kings baroque harpwork as delicate AND muscular as ever), and a teasing use of unusual percussion which adds depth and texture to many tracks. And then there are the singers: whats especially impressive here is the way that these strong, vibrant, often sexy voices work together so well as an ensemble, and also, one by one, emerge to offer beguiling, idiosyncratic solo performances (especially the rich mezzo-sopranos). I cant recommend this CD enough.
On: 2002-10-17
The Harp Consort are always pretty amazing (c.f. their earlier CD "Spanish Dances: Selections from Ruiz de Ribayas Luz y Norte") but they are perhaps at their finest here. A powerful brew of sacred and profane: the liturgical music of the Latin mass, Renaissance Spanish/Mexican courtly and popular dance and song, and the music of the African slaves brought to Mexico: all these things come together with magnificent results. Wonderful melodies (youll walk round all day with the Marizapolas variations in your head, youll want to dance to the Jacaras); exquisite strings (Andrew Lawrence-Kings baroque harpwork as delicate AND muscular as ever), and a teasing use of unusual percussion which adds depth and texture to many tracks. And then there are the singers: whats especially impressive here is the way that these strong, vibrant, often sexy voices work together so well as an ensemble, and also, one by one, emerge to offer beguiling, idiosyncratic solo performances (especially the rich mezzo-sopranos). I cant recommend this CD enough.
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