Victoria’s justly celebrated Tenebrae Responsories were designed to be sung in a darkened church during a service called Tenebrae, the Latin word for darkness or shadows. Such an interplay of light and dark profoundly informs these almost startling intimate and intense accounts by I Fagiolini under the ever-thoughtful Robert Hollingworth.

Just as say, beholding the colourful drama of a Caravaggio canvas in a candlelit space highlights the artist’s masterful storytelling, so this small group of singers never overstates the undeniable passion of Victoria’s music. Rather, the listener is invited into a personal performance where there is certainly intense expression, but the many glories of the music are given space to speak for themselves. 

Victoria’s manifold instances of word painting are duly acknowledged, yet there is often a hushed sense of awe as these texts dealing with the universal experiences of death, betrayal and human cruelty play out. Among the many instances of beguiling vocal tone is the treatment of “in tenebrosis, et in umbra mortis” (in darkness and the shadow of death) from Aestimatus sum. 

Interleaved between the sets of responsories, Hollingworth reads passages from A Scattering by Christopher Reid, a series of reflections on the dying and death of the British author’s wife, the actress Lucinda Gane. Both the spoken texts and their delivery have a tender, stark reality that provides a heart-rending counterpoint to this poignant take on Victoria’s music.

This unusual combination of spoken and sung works is a gem which rewards careful, repeated listening.

Listen on Apple Music

Composer: Victoria
Work: Tenebrae Responsories
Performers: I Fagiolini/Robert Hollingworth
Label: Coro COR16024