In Renaissance Heaven with Tomas Luis

While I was in London recently I bought a couple of CDs of the music of Tomas Luis de Victoria: a favourite composer of mine (and Tom from Vegas too). I can thoroughly recommend both recordings.

The first is entitled ‘Devotion to our Lady’ and is the first volume of a three volume set of the works of de Victoria. Harry Christophers' The 16 are the performers.  In writing of Tomas Luis (if I may make so bold as to refer to him by his Christian names) the great Harry Christophers puts it very nicely: 

‘Scholar, mystic, priest, singer, organist and composer – six persons all rolled into one and that is, quite simply, why Victoria is the most outstanding composer of the Renaissance.’

I couldn’t agree more and the music on this CD (which I am listening to as I type this) is perfection: Salve Regina, Missa Salve (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei), Ave Maria stella a 4, Alma Redemptoris Mater a 8, Regina caeli laetare a 8, Ave Maria a 8, and finally Magnificat a 8. Fifty of minutes of heavenly music fit which is indeed for Our Lady. I intend to try and purchase volumes 2 (Mystery of the Cross) and 3 (The Call of the Beloved) if I can. There is another CD (Requiem) and I would like to get that too!

The second CD is called ‘An invented office of Vespers’. It is made up of a series of Vesper Psalms discovered in Italy in 1975. Scholars appear to have no doubt that they are by Victoria although without proper identification they do not appear in any official list of his works. The result is beautiful: Psalms 109 110 111 112 147 126 and 115 followed by an Ave Maria Stella and the Magnificat.

The only sticking point (if you can call it that) is the booklet. Josep Cabré, the baritone in the recording, has seen fit to write his views on the Composer and, in finest Manichean style, appears to judge de Victoria’s actions from a purely modern (and may I say) materialistic standpoint: 

‘…. when I observe the richness and luxury of his publications, his personal dedications to personalities of the first rank in the corridors of power (temporal or spiritual) and his obvious concern for eminently practical details in this respect, I find myself thinking not at all of the heterodoxy of mystics like St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross, but of someone with his feet firmly on the ground, respectful of power and of the hierarchy, and moreover perfectly aware of the advantages to be had from them.’

Such cynicism!

It is interesting to me to read that he doesn’t consider that St. Teresa of Avila had her feet firmly on the ground. If you read the Saint’s ‘Life’ you will see that she has them very much planted on the ground, even if her eyes are lifted ever heavenwards…

Just another example of ‘The World’ attempting to expunge any trace of love of God (and the recognition of the elevated position that Bishops and Popes hold in our world) from present day thought and contemplation.

Compare this with another quote from Harry Christophers on Tomas Luis:

‘He devoted his life to the Church, and his works reveal such heartfelt passion that there are times, in performance, when we are almost overwhelmed by their intensity.