Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The title of this release by the male quartet New York Polyphony refers to a poem by the martyred Catholic poet Robert Southwell, reproduced in the CD packaging. The idea of performing these works with a vocal quartet, which is certainly not how they were originally performed, appears to be that the pieces involved have an inward, secret quality resulting from the persecution of Catholics in England. Reactions to the album as a whole will likely to depend on how listeners feel about hearing Renaissance choral works sung by a quartet, and in parts of the album the medium undoubtedly contributes to the message. There's a lot to be said for hearing Byrd's Mass for four voices performed this way, for the way Byrd uses polyphony to sculpt out the words of the Catholic mass comes through with unusual clarity here. The same is true to a lesser extent of Thomas Tallis' Mass for four voices. From there the logic of the program breaks down; the Missa sine nomine of the little known early Renaissance composer John Plummer shares the gently lyrical but still essentially impersonal language of John Dunstable, and the three contemporary pieces are of a different emotional flavor. Of the sheer sensuous beauty of New York Polyphony's singing there can be little question, and the group is given a luxuriant environment in which to flourish by the BIS engineering team, working in Sweden's small, stark Länna church from the Gothic era. The question is whether the sound matches the music. Sample a bit: the music may grab you instantly, or you may find it strangely mannered.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
Mass a 4 (William Byrd)
William BYRD, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
William BYRD, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
William BYRD, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
William BYRD, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
William BYRD, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Richard Rodney Bennett, Composer - Thomas Browne, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Missa sine nomine (John Plummer)
John Plummer, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
John Plummer, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
John Plummer, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
John Plummer, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
John Plummer, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Kyrie IV (Andrew Smith)
Anonymous, Lyricist - Andrew Smith, Composer - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Mass for 4 Voices (Thomas Tallis)
Thomas Tallis, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Thomas Tallis, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Thomas Tallis, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Thomas Tallis, Composer - Mass Text, Lyricist - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Anonymous, Lyricist - Gabriel Jackson, Composer - New York Polyphony, Ensemble, MainArtist
2013 BIS 2013 (P) BIS
Album review
The title of this release by the male quartet New York Polyphony refers to a poem by the martyred Catholic poet Robert Southwell, reproduced in the CD packaging. The idea of performing these works with a vocal quartet, which is certainly not how they were originally performed, appears to be that the pieces involved have an inward, secret quality resulting from the persecution of Catholics in England. Reactions to the album as a whole will likely to depend on how listeners feel about hearing Renaissance choral works sung by a quartet, and in parts of the album the medium undoubtedly contributes to the message. There's a lot to be said for hearing Byrd's Mass for four voices performed this way, for the way Byrd uses polyphony to sculpt out the words of the Catholic mass comes through with unusual clarity here. The same is true to a lesser extent of Thomas Tallis' Mass for four voices. From there the logic of the program breaks down; the Missa sine nomine of the little known early Renaissance composer John Plummer shares the gently lyrical but still essentially impersonal language of John Dunstable, and the three contemporary pieces are of a different emotional flavor. Of the sheer sensuous beauty of New York Polyphony's singing there can be little question, and the group is given a luxuriant environment in which to flourish by the BIS engineering team, working in Sweden's small, stark Länna church from the Gothic era. The question is whether the sound matches the music. Sample a bit: the music may grab you instantly, or you may find it strangely mannered.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:52
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: New York Polyphony
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: BIS
- Genre: Classical
2013 BIS 2013 BIS
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.