Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam, Harry van der Kamp, direction
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) The Complete Psalms
Without doubt, Het Sweelinck Monument, the 'Sweelinck Monument', has been one of the most important recording projects of recent years. Recognized as such by Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands herself at a ceremony celebrated in November 2010 at the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, this involved the entire vocal output of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck - the most important Dutch composer ever - being recorded for the first time. This project, published by GLOSSA in the form of six book-discs in The Netherlands, culminates now for the international market with the release, in a 12-disc box set, of the 150 Psalms. Previously issued, it is worth pointing out, have been the Complete Secular Works (GCD 922401, 3 CDs) and the Cantiones Sacrae (GCD 922406, 2 CDs). Sweelinck, who was the organist at the Oude Kerk from the age of 15 until his death, carried out his musical activity at a time in which Catholicism had been supplanted by Calvinism. This development proved decisive in the composer basing his Magnum Opus - the composition of music for all the Psalms - on the French texts of the Genevan Psalter, a metrical adaptation of the Biblical Psalms made by Clément Marot and Theodore de Bèze. Possessed of a cosmopolitan spirit, Sweelinck managed to secure for his Psalms, replete with their madrigalistic influences, a significant distribution across Europe. The Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam performs here the Psalms prefacing them with the wonderful melodies composed for the Genevan Psalter by Guillaume Franc, Louis Bourgeois and Pierre Davantès (Maître Pierre). Truly a monument, consisting of more than 12 hours of music which no early music lover should lose the opportunity in acquiring.
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