The 500th anniversary of composer Palestrina's birth was celebrated with a concert directed by Peter Phillips, pairing Palestrina's sacred music with that of Arvo Part, who recently turned 90. Performed by the acclaimed Tallis Scholars, the concerts highlighted the seamless blend of historical and contemporary music. Beginning with Palestrina's 'Surge Illuminare' and featuring the Missa Brevis, the ensemble's vocal clarity and expressive dynamics resonated deeply. Part's 'Da Pacem,' composed after a tragedy, showcased his distinctive style and thematic kinship with Palestrina, particularly in the Nunc Dimittis, emphasizing their mutual dedication to musical meaning.
Phillips has described Palestrina as the most consummate of renaissance composers: it may surely be said that the Tallis Scholars are the consummate vocal ensemble.
The Scholars' use of dynamic and tonal color, as well as the attention to changes of meter, vividly achieved, exemplifies the infinite care with which Palestrina set the words of the Ordinary.
His Da Pacem written in response to the terrorist bombings in Madrid in 2004 attuned the ear to his tintinnabuli style, transparent yet resonant.
The notion of Part having a symbolic connection to the expressivity found in both his and Palestrina's settings of the Nunc Dimittis highlighted a common commitment to the meaning of the text.
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