THE TALLIS SCHOLARS AT THE RAVINIA ...

THE TALLIS SCHOLARS AT THE RAVINIA FESTIVAL

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Renaissance music is something of an acquired taste. To recent ears, its a cappella repertoire can hale remote and austere. Plus, like the art of its time, greatly of it is either liturgical or religious.

The England-based Tallis Scholars, directed by dint of Peter Phillips, made their Ravinia Festival first appearance Monday night in the Martin Theatre. Their finely polished performance was a musical bridge back in time, when Gregorian chant was part of sacred services and it was not unusual to hear unaccompanied voices.

In its program, the nine-voice the whole -- usually 10, but individual bass was missing -- explored music in German and Latin according to mainly German composers: Heinrich Isaac, born about 1450 just as the Renaissance was beginning; Hans Leo Hassler, born more than a hundred years later, and Heinrich Schutz, who lived from 1585 to 1672 well beyond the era's commonly defined time boundaries. The single Italian, Gregorio Allegri, was almost an exact contemporary of Schutz

The devise opened with Isaac's serenade, in German, to Innsbruck, perhaps a forerunner to urban tribute melodys such as "Granada" and "Vienna, City of My Dreams."

It was a well adapted opening choice, allowing the audience to experience the clarity and entire pitch of the singers: sopranos Sally Dunkley Tessa Bonner Janet Coxwell and Deborah Roberts, altos Patrick Craig and Caroline Trevor, tenors Andrew Carwood and Steven Harrold, and bass Robert Macdonald.

It wasn't prolonged before we were deep into sacred music. We heard Hassler's Missa VIII for Double Choir, a richly polyphonic work. portions such as the Gloria and Credo, began with Gregorian chant, if it were not that quickly flowered forth in rich vocal strands.

The voices, notwithstanding that harmonious, did not blend as sections in a chorus meld together and issue as one. Each voice protoplast retained its individuality, from the needle-sharp sopranos to the hardy bass, braiding particular colors as intricately as strands in a tapestry.

Did those composer save their sweetest music for their Marian works? Isaac's "Virgo prudentissima" was satiated of sunshine and a tender-hearted energy, which flowed through the piece, phrase by dint of phrase. Under Phillips' keen direction, the verse was propelled by some inner force of the sentence or the elusive melody.

For Allegri's "Miserere," the [i]tout ensemble[/i] was split -- five onstage and four at the back of the theater -- giving an antiphonal and otherworldly validity to this heartrending plea for pity

It was followed through Hassler's less formal "O sacrum convivium," Isaac's "Tota pulchra es" from the Bible's "Song of Songs" and Isaac's "Regina caeli," with lively alleluias.

Phillips saved Schutz's powerful, compounded work "Deutches Magnificat" for last. This piece was performed with particular sauce and the audience obviously appreciated this rare chance to hear as it was music.

After seeing the Tallis Scholars, the Renaissance doesn't have the appearance remote at all.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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