Voices of Connection: 06/16 Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium

One of the most famous of all Renaissance motets, O Magnum Mysterium displays Victoria’s unique style of treating a chorus like a symphony orchestra or an organ with many different stops. He is constantly combing the voices in different combinations and with different colors. This was Victoria’s great gift. He is less interested in the clever contrapuntal passing of a melody from one voice part to another. Instead, he sculpts blocks of choral sound to create the mystical atmosphere he seeks. His motets in this style are very satisfying to perform because you can do them differently each time. As long as you are true to the meaning of the piece, there is a lot of leeway in the interpretation.

– Dennis Keene

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TOMÁS LUIS DE VICTORIA O Magnum Mysterium

Voices of Ascension
Dennis Keene, Artistic Director

from the Delos recording Beyond Chant ℗ 1995 Delos
The singers in this performance are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.

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