Harmonic Breath – The Music of Palestrina
Mysterium Duo
Canadian Classical Records Inc. (canadianclassical.ca/collections/mysterium-duo-harmonic-breath-the-music-of-palestrina)
Calgary-based Mysterium Duo is two brilliant “classical” accordionists. Internationally renowned performer Sir N. Antonio Peruch currently teaches classical accordion at the University of Calgary. Penny Sanborn is a University of Calgary PhD graduate student with a Master of Music in Performance on accordion who has also performed internationally. They each play on the chromatic free-bass accordion. The left-hand buttons are single tones arranged in ascending semitones from lower pitched at the top of the accordion to higher pitches lower. Both play button keyboard right hand instruments, with a wide pitch range, which accommodate the duo’s fascinating adaptations of nine Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina sacred compositions.
The opening Ricercar del Primo Tuomo, originally scored for brass quartet, has each accordionist playing in a strict tempo and pulse together, and in separate contrapuntal lines. Their detached notes are very clear and attention grabbing. Sicut Cervus is Palestrina’s most famous and often performed four-voice motet, a setting to Psalm 42. After a held note start, the accordions play in two-part individual lines. Love the clear phrasing, controlled accordion bellows breathing, and lower pitched held note lines. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a church motet. The short melodic phrases translate well to the accordion, especially the lower pitch and higher pitch lines together. A very positive and uplifting performance to closing held note. Mysterium’s sheet music adaptations for two free-bass accordions are available.
The release is only 25 minutes in length, yet timeless in Mysterium’s colour, beauty, and respectful adaptations of Palestrina’s sacred works, played perfectly by Peruch and Sanborn.
