Hans Morren
capp prat 01
It was appropriate that Early Music Now, ever mindful of history, celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with a concert Saturday evening. The Dutch male vocal ensemble Cappella Pratensis performed a program of music from the early years of the Reformation at Grace Lutheran Church at Juneau and Broadway.
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther sent his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the Archbishop of Mainz, setting in motion what would become a break with the Roman Catholic Church and the foundation of Protestantism. In those early years, before the emergence of a liturgy in German, Luther advocated retaining the Latin Mass, with alterations. Cappella Pratensis constructed a Christmas Mass in Latin of music that might have been heard in Wittenberg, Germany, where Luther was living in the 1520s.
The eight voices of the a cappella ensemble sang with remarkable fluidity and a sure sense of tuning. I particularly noticed how the singers matched vowels so closely, which is the fundamental requirement for true vocal blend. The men rang chords that were so perfectly in tune that they sounded as if created by some great instrument. This performance was a masterful display of sophisticated expression and musicianship.
Five of the pieces were by Dutch composer Heinrich Isaac, with others by Adam Rener and Johann Walter, as well as plainchants. The singers primarily sang at the altar during this Mass, moving away and down front for the two hymns in German. There was some liturgical logic to this, but it did create a visual issue to see the group gathered around a large wooden music stand, obscuring faces, during most of the concert. However historical this may be, it’s an unsatisfying audience experience when you can’t see the faces of the singers.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The program ended with Praeter rerum seriem by Josquin Desprez, showing a different style, with the emboldened, expressive dissonances of the high Renaissance. As with many EMN concerts, this began at 5 p.m. The ornate stained-glass windows began in full sunlight, and over the next hour came the magical, slow coming of twilight.
