One of an extensive series of box sets presenting the greatest, most famous and best-loved choral masterworks of western music, encompassing more than 700 years of musical history, from the Flemish masters Josquin and Ockeghem, through the mastery of Bach, the grace of Mozart, the romantics Brahms and Mendelssohn to 20th century masters Britten and Rutter.

Beautifully repackaged with fresh and inspirational artwork, this is a highly attractive series.

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is one of the towering figures of Rennaissance and he ranks today as one of the great composers. His output of over 100 masses, 250 motets and several volumes of liturgical works is remarkable even by the standards of the day.

Nearly all his music was composed for the Papal choir, and the fact that he remained closely within the orbit of the Vatican marks him out as a conservative musician. However, his music moved away from the mainly contrapuntal style, to one that displayed much skillful use of chordal and harmonic writing. He shunned the use of giving equal importance to words and music, preferring to set the texts in an impersonal, often quite abstract idiom, which nonetheless has a beauty of melodic line and use of harmony that few could equal.

This set of 5 CDs contains 6 Masses, including the masterpiece Missa Papae Marcelli, and a Stabat Mater. These CDs are a superb introduction to the music of a great composer who dominated 16th century Italian music.

‘The final Agnus is especially beautiful with its added voice in the middle of the texture. Further recordings of this work are unlikely to displace the all-male, solo-voice approach advocated here. The plainchant relevant to each Mass is beautifully rendered and unobtrusive, and the recording has a full presence but is not too close.’ - Gramophone October 1994 (Missa brevis etc)

A booklet with sung texts is included.

Contents:
CD 1
- Missa l’Homme Armé 5vv
1. Introitus: Ecce advenit dominator Dominus
2. Kyrie
3. Gloria
4. Graduale: Omnes de Saba venient
5. Credo
6. Offertorium: Reges Tharsis
7. Sanctus & Benedictus
8. Communio: Vidimus stellam
9. Agnus Dei

- Missa Assumpta est Maria
10. Introitus: Gaudeamus omnes in Domino
11. Kyrie
12. Gloria
13. Graduale: Propter veritatem
14. Credo
15. Offertorium: Assumpta est Maria
16. Sanctus & Benedictus
17. Communio: Optimum partem
18. Agnus Dei

Pro Cantione Antiqua / Mark Brown
Total time: 73’44

CD 2
FERIA V IN COENA DOMINI
1. Lectio I 7’14
2. Lectio II 8’28
3. Lectio III 9’34
FERIA VI IN PARASCEVE
4. Lectio I 8’48
5. Lectio II 9’08
6. Lectio III 7’04
SABBATO SANCTO
7. Lectio I 10’00
8. Lectio II 6’53
9. Lectio III 7’03

Pro Cantione Antiqua / Bruno Turner
Total time: 74’38

CD 3
- Missa brevis
1. Introitus: Puer natus est nobis
2. Kyrie
3. Gloria
4. Graduale: Viderunt omnes
5. Credo
6. Offertorium: Tui sunt coeli
7. Sanctus
8. Benedictus
9. Communio: Viderunt omnes
10. Agnus Dei

- Missa Lauda Sion
11. Introitus: Cibavit eos
12. Kyrie
13. Gloria
14. Graduale: Oculi omnium
15. Credo
16. Offertorium: Sacerdotes Domini
17. Sanctus
18. Benedictus
19. Communio: Quotiescumque manducabitis
20. Agnus Dei
21. Super flumina Babylonis
22. Sicut cervus

Pro Cantione Antiqua / Mark Brown
Total time: 63’31

CD 4
1. Hymn: Aeterna Christi Munera
- Missa Aeterna Christi Munera
2. Introitus: Mihi autem
3. Kyrie
4. Gloria
5. Graduale: Constitues eos principes
6. Credo
7. Offertorium: Mihi autem
8. Sanctus
9. Benedictus
10. Communio: Venite post me
11. Agnus Dei

- Missa l’Homme Armé 4vv
12. Introitus: In virtute tua
13. Kyrie
14. Gloria
15. Graduale: Beatus Vir
16. Credo
17. Offertorium: Gloria et honore
18. Sanctus
19. Benedictus
20. Communio: Qui vult venire post me
21. Agnus Dei

Pro Cantione Antiqua / Mark Brown
Total time: 63’31

CD 5
- Missa Papae Marcelli
1. Introitus: Gaudeamus omnes in Domino
2. Kyrie
3. Gloria
4. Graduale/Alleluia: Propter veritatem
5. Credo
6. Offertorium: Assumpta est Maria
7. Sanctus
8. Benedictus
9. Agnus Dei I
10. Agnus Dei II
11. Communio: Optimam partem
12. Stabat Mater

Pro Cantione Antiqua / Mark Brown
Total time: 58’32