Thomissøn's Easter Musica Ficta & Bo Holten

• Conrad Rein (1475 - 1522):
• 1Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum02:55
• Jacobus Clemens non Papa (1510 - 1555): Missa Virtute magna:
• 2I. Kyrie03:49
• 3II. Gloria06:44
• Anonymous: Lutheran Service:
• 4Collect, Epistle Reading01:46
• Thomas Stoltzer (1480 - 1526), Conrad Rein (1475 - 1522):
• 5Haec dies quam fecit Dominus - Confitemini Domino04:57
• Lucas Lossius (1508 - 1582), Conrad Rein (1475 - 1522): Alleluia:
• 6Pascha nostrum03:15
• Lucas Lossius (1508 - 1582), Johannes Galliculus (1490 - 1520): Sequenza:
• 7Victimae paschali laudes04:53
• Anonymous: Lutheran Service:
• 8Reading from the Gospel02:17
• Jacobus Clemens non Papa (1510 - 1555): Missa Virtute magna:
• 9III. Credo08:32
• Anonymous:
• 10Christ lå i dødsens bånde01:29
• Anonymous: Lutheran Service:
• 11Lutheran Service: Preface01:56
• Jacobus Clemens non Papa (1510 - 1555): Missa Virtute magna:
• 12IV. Sanctus - V. Benedictus06:10
• Anonymous: Lutheran Service:
• 13Collect, Lord's Prayer, Words of Institution04:23
• Jacobus Clemens non Papa (1510 - 1555): Missa Virtute magna:
• 14VI. Agnus Dei04:26
• Anonymous: Lutheran Service:
• 15Postcommunion, Blessing01:03
• Anonymous:
• 16Forlæ oss med fred nådelig01:10
• Total Runtime59:45

Info zu Thomissøn's Easter

Ribe Cathedral, in the Southwest of Denmark, is one of the few places in the world where the earliest Lutheran church music practice can be reconstructed. Thanks to the Danish hymn collector Hans Thomissøn (1532-73), music director at Ribe Cathedral School around 1560, a clearly shaped liturgy was equipped with the relevant music. In exemplary manner this recording reflects the elements that made up an early Lutheran feast-day service in Denmark, including a fashionable Mass cycle by the Flemish master Jacobus Clemens non Papa.

"Hans Thomissøn was the music director at the Ribe Cathedral School in Southwest Denmark during the mid-sixteenth century and preserved the music of that time. From that source it has been possible to reconstruct the basic ingredients of the earliest Lutheran service for a feast-day that was heard in one of the few places in the world where that was possible. History would relate that two years of civil war in Denmark had ended, and in 1536 King Christian III proclaimed that Lutheranism would be, from that time onwards, the state religion. Musically it would have contained a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Benedictus, the names of some of the composers are known, and included Lucas Lossius, and Conrad Rein, but no extant scores used at those early services has survived, so we are presuming that music of their style would have been included. The other unknown quantity is the way music was sung at that time, and the massive compromise that we have to accept here is to have female soprano voices taking the place of boys, and that sound is, without doubt, very different. Let us not quibble, Denmark’s Musica Ficta is a fine ensemble directed by Bo Holten, and to have the disc is most interesting and enjoyable. Adding to the authenticity, Dacapo’s excellent recording has been made earlier this year in Ribe Cathedral, and hugely informative programme notes are included." (David Denton, David’s Review Corner)

Musica Ficta
Bo Holten, conductor

Música Ficta
based in Copenhagen, is a professional vocal ensemble, founded in 1996 by the composer and conductor Bo Holten. With this group he has realised his vision of a highly flexible ensemble, where the classical Oxbridge early music ideal is combined with the warmth of the Scandinavian choral sound. Musica Ficta works exclusively on thematic projects, based on the idea that the musical experience is enhanced by letting historical, literary or philosophical perspectives play an active rôle in programming. The group specialises in early vocal music, polyphony as well as madrigals and medieval music.

Bo Holten
After Studies in Musicology at the university of Copenhagen and bassoon at the Royal Academy of Music Bo Holten worked some years as music teacher and as critic at various newspapers in Copenhagen. He established the vocal group Ars Nova in 1979 with whom he since then made app 450 concerts; the works performed include almost 120 world premieres. Bo Holten and Ars Nova have recorded 15 CDs with both contemporary and early music.

Apart from conducting Ars Nova Bo Holten has conducted most Danish professional symphony orchestras in both own and other composers' works and he was appointed Guest conductor of the BBC Singers of London in 1991. Recently Bo Holten and Ars Nova have parted and Holten has established a new outstanding vocal group, Musica Ficta, who already have proved to be a dominant factor in Danish musical life.

Bo Holten has composed more than 100 works of which 2 symphonies, 5 solo concertos, several works for chorus and orchestra, 2 operas and 2 musicals deserve a mention. Furthermore a number of works for chamber ensemble, 3 song cycles and some pieces for percussion ensemble. Besides music to several films, TV-series, jingles etc. The works for chorus with or without instruments have a dominant position in his production.

As composer and musician Bo Holten is thoroughly extrovert and it is important to him that the music is understandable and has an influence on people, and according to him musical composition is always an activity which is part of concrete musical practice.

Bo Holten was a member of the State's Music Council 1979-83 and chairman of the music committee of the State's Arts Council 1990-93 and has received several distinguished awards including the Herman Sandby Prize 1980, Rostrum of Composers, Paris 1982, Danish Composers Association's Anniversary Grant 1983, The Art Council's Production Reward 1984 and the Mogens Wöldike Prize 1984.

Booklet für Thomissøn's Easter