Philippe De Monte: Missa Ultimi Miei Sospiri & Oth

Ensemble Cinquecento

In their third disc for Hyperion, the acclaimed vocal ensemble Cinquecento continue their exploration of the rich repertoire engendered in the Habsburg court. The prolific composer De Monte, Kapellmeister to the Emperor Maximilian II, wrote over a thousand madrigals as well as hundreds of sacred works, and the expressive aspects of the madrigal infuse his sacred music delightfully. His Missa Ultimi miei sospiri contains the constant interplay between groups of voices and dramatic word-setting which are features of the madrigal genre. The motets recorded here cover many Biblical and liturgical subjects and demonstrate the wide range of techniques and styles used by the composer.

Monte, P:
 Ad te levavi
 Asperges me, Domine
 Fratres, ego enim accepi
 Gaudent in caelis animae Sanctorum
 Magnificat sexti toni
 Miserere mei, Deus
 Missa Ultimi miei sospiri
 Ne timeas, Maria

Verdelot:
 Ultimi mei sospiri

"The six male singers of Cinquecento have a lot going for them. The voices are warmly recorded though a little too closely… their performances make it clear that Monte is a composer of distinction."
BBC Music Magazine - June 2008 ****

"An unusually gifted ensemble, both vocally and musically … Here is a group whose tone, vocal flexibility, collective and individual musicianship and commitment to their chosen repertoire places them at the very forefront of modern-day specialists in the performance of Renaissance vocal music"
International Record Review