Marc'Antonio Ingegneri is remembered as the teacher of the influential Claudio Monteverdi. Ingegneri's own oeuvre and achievements remain overshadowed by his student. Toccata Classics, together with Choir Of Girton College, aims to change this. They are dedicating a series to this renaissance composer. A first volume with motets was released in 2020. Now a second cd follows with motets for double choir.
The renaissance composer Marc'Antonio Ingegneri (ca. 1535/36 - 1592) studied polyphony and counterpoint with the Franco-Flemish polyfonist Cypriano de Rore (1515/16 - 1565) and the Italian composer Vincenzo Ruffo (ca. 1508 - 1587). Ingegneri developed a clear style closely related to the counter-reformatory style of Palestrina (ca. 1525 - 1594). Initially, Ingegneri worked as kapellmeister in his presumed birthplace Verona. In 1576 Ingegneri was appointed kapellmeister in Cremona where he remained active until the end of his life. It was also in this city that Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) apprenticed with the Cremonese composer.
The premiere recordings with Missa voce mea a5 showcase the breathtaking richness and beauty of Ingegneri once again. The complex network of vocal voices creates a remarkably clear and simple result. The Choir Of Girton College under the direction of Gareth Wilson manages to bring this mass with appropriate intensity.
The mass is based on the motet Voce mea [track 02] by the Florentine composer Paolo Animuccia (ca. 1500 - 1569), brother of the more well-known Giovanni Animuccia. Richard Turbet describes this motet as inferior in quality to Palestrina's motet that formed the basis of Ingegneri's mass in volume 1 (TOCC0556). Animuccia's motet sounds as an intro to the Missa voce mea a5 and after a psalm setting Exultate Deo [track 01] by Ingegneri. When you hear the two consecutively, a difference in subtlety is indeed noticeable. Ingegneri manages, with refinement and nuance, to make the text sound clear within a complicated contrapuntal network. With well-chosen and measured chromaticism, he further polishes the text setting. Nevertheless, the addition of Animuccia's motet is certainly a plus for the cd. This way the original source material of this parody mass sounds, after which you can hear what Ingegneri makes of it.
The five ordinary settings of Missa voce mea a5 [track 03, 05, 07, 10 & 12] are alternated with other compositions by Ingegneri, which fragments the mass. The alternation with the motets can, thanks to digital playlists, however be circumvented. Of course, the following counterargument can be used to justify the artistic choice; the proper parts of the mass would have originally also separated Ingegneri's settings from each other.
The alternation between a vocal performance by Choir Of Girton College and an instrumental performance by Historic Brass Of The Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama (RWCMD) also creates breaks. At some moments the change in timbre provides a pleasant contrast but at other moments it causes further segmentation. Personally, I find this an interesting concept but for a premiere recording it is an unfortunate choice. The mass loses its coherence through the many breaks. Sometimes one plus one is three, but in this case one plus one remains just two. A fully vocal, instrumental, or mixed version would have been more appropriate than an alternating one. Ultimately it is a matter of taste and de gustibus non est disputandum (there is no disputing tastes).
The individual parts do fulfill their purpose. These premiere recordings bring Ingegneri's ingenious music to life once again. Both the Choir Of Girton College and the RWCMD manage to do justice to the music of this renaissance composer. Especially in the "Gloria" [track 05] the elegant enthusiasm of these young musicians comes into its own. This is a cd to discover for yourself and pass judgment on.
3.5/5
- WHO: Choir Of Girton College, Cambridge; Historic Brass Of The Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama; Jeremy West, Gareth Wilson
- WHAT: Ingegneri: Vol 2. Missa Voce Mea A5, Motets; Animuccia: Voce Mea
- LABEL: Toccata Classics TOCC0630
- ORDER: JPC