Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, born and trained in Spain, became the maestro de capilla at Mexico's splendid Puebla Cathedral in 1629, remaining there until his death in 1664. The a cappella choral music recorded here is all for double choir in the manner of the late sixteenth century, with antiphonal effects and contrasts between the two choirs. But Padilla's style is unique. The highly readable notes describe one of the pieces as "playful in mood and rigorous in technical skill," and that description might work for much of ...
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Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, born and trained in Spain, became the maestro de capilla at Mexico's splendid Puebla Cathedral in 1629, remaining there until his death in 1664. The a cappella choral music recorded here is all for double choir in the manner of the late sixteenth century, with antiphonal effects and contrasts between the two choirs. But Padilla's style is unique. The highly readable notes describe one of the pieces as "playful in mood and rigorous in technical skill," and that description might work for much of the music. Padilla is given to exuberant text-setting effects reminiscent of the Italian Mannerists even as he sticks to clear textures and generally non-chromatic sonorities. He fills lines with rapid little ripples that are unlike anything else in this style of music. The most vivid effects come in the shorter pieces, but the Salve regina, track 4, can also be sampled for the interesting way Padilla builds up a large double-choir structure out of contrasting short blocks. The...
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