Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Discussions relating to performance, interpretation, score preparation, musica ficta etc.
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tpatriarche
Posts: 6
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 08:05

Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by tpatriarche »

As most people know, the "received version" of the Allegri Miserere is not only quite different from Allegri's original, but there have been many versions, virtually one for each generation of practice in ornamentation, ficta, abellimenti etc. I am looking for a particular one.

Sometime not long after the first widely-available recordings (1970's?) a recording was released purporting to "restore" the "proper" abellimenti. I heard it a few times but can no longer remember the group who recorded it. The characteristics I remember are (1) no high C, (2) a ficta C# resulting in a Neapolitan 6th, probably in the 4-part section.

Does anyone have a lead on this? I would be interested in both a recording and a score.
cjshawcj
Posts: 76
Joined: 04 Jan 2011 00:21
Location: Bath, England

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by cjshawcj »

You are thinking perchance of the Keyte-edited Taverner Choir version which presents each verse with a slightly different version (basically, in chronological order) of the transmitted text.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnPmv9cBwtU


[later edit] I stand by the Taverner Choir, but that link isn't right a) having no hint of Emily van Evera or b) being half the correct running time. If it really IS the Taverners, it is a filleted version.
Better: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Sistine-C ... 752&sr=1-1
tpatriarche
Posts: 6
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 08:05

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by tpatriarche »

Thank you so much. The Youtube performance is certainly not the one I vaguely remember, but it is interesting in its own right for having the different historical versions. It's evidently incomplete as it should be about 12-13 min., so perhaps one of the later verses contains the Neapolitan 6th ficta that so vividly sticks in my mind. I've Googled the Hugh Keyte score, but came up with too many hits from CD liner notes etc., so I'll have to refine it somehow.

The Taverner Consort rings a bell, and the timing would be about right for one of their early recordings. I'll follow that up.

Tony
cdu
Posts: 6
Joined: 28 Jul 2009 21:20

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by cdu »

Call Lois Fyfe Music in Nashville. They'll be able to let you know all the editions throughout the world. Years ago, when I wanted to perform the 'familiar' version in Latin (in the days when King's, under Willcocks, did it in English), George Guest had just edited a Latin edition, with Curwen I believe, but Lois Fyfe also sent me various 'urtext' editions from the Continent (Universal?) with no ornamentation. At any rate, if you describe to them what you're looking for, they'll find it if it is published.
panda
Posts: 5
Joined: 18 Aug 2007 12:35
Location: Australia

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by panda »

The Taverners' recording is on an EMI disc 'Music of the Sistine Chapel' from 1987 - the sleeve notes don't mention whether the score had been published.
D-fished
Posts: 31
Joined: 01 Dec 2010 04:03
Location: North Vancouver BC, Canada

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by D-fished »

I have a recording of an alternative version by A Sei Voci. The divisions were written by a French musicologist whose name I can't remember (I'm not at home to check my CD). Unfortunately, while there is a 'Miserere' sung by A Sei Voci posted on YouTube, it's the track in which they do the 'usual' version.

Cheers,
d-fished

I did a little more digging and found this YouTube posting of the ornamented version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKam7bF3k9U
D-fished
Posts: 31
Joined: 01 Dec 2010 04:03
Location: North Vancouver BC, Canada

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by D-fished »

I was in my local sheet music store recently and had a look at their Allegri offerings. There is an edition by Rutter in which he details all the variant readings in previously published versions. In one of the falso bordone sections there is a passing C# that would create the Neapolitan harmony you're talking about. It stems from an Italian edition of 1841 and the note says it's usually ignored in performance. Maybe this is at least part of the story of the version you're talking about.

Cheers,
D-fished
tpatriarche
Posts: 6
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 08:05

Re: Allegri Miserere ornamentation

Post by tpatriarche »

Thanks to all who responded!
I will look for the Rutter edition. Maybe I can persuade one of the choirs I sing with to perform the Neapolitan 6th version!
(Is a Neapolitan 6th a double scoop of gelato? just wondering.... :wink:
That still leaves the mystery of who recorded the version I heard in the 60's or early 70's with the unexpected C# - not Rutter's Cambridge singers, too early for them.

:arrow: If any old recording buffs are still checking this thread, my vague memory is that the recording came out shortly after either the King's College 1963 recording or the first Tallis Scholars recording, and was promoted at the time as a response to the "standard" version, restoring the "authentic" abellimenti. Now of course we know "authentic" is only meaningful if you specify which decade you mean!

Somebody did a really good web paper on historical versions quite a few years ago, might even have been an MMus or PhD thesis, in the 80's or early 90's I would guess, but I've lost the URL. Not sure I have the patience to Google for it as there have doubtless been dozens since.... TMI <g>
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