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We often use the term "eternity” to describe a period of time that is infinitely long, but one of the great lessons of music and performing is that we can embrace time as both a single moment and as a part of the entire human existence: past, present, and future. The music explored in this program, from the 12th through the 18th centuries, is vast, and shows the eternal nature of music as a vehicle for beauty and text painting throughout the development of Western Music history. The earliest pieces on our program are medieval works from two important manuscript collections, both of which are rare survivors amongst many lost or destroyed examples of the earliest harmonic development -- moving from one voice to two to three. This gives way to the polyphony of the late 16th-century Renaissance which stretches the limits of what four voices are capable of as they vividly describe the text (most notably in William Byrd's Mass for Four Voices, which is both a political and religious statement that pleads for peace and a return to unity). Alongside Byrd are stalwarts of the Renaissance period: Palestrina and Victoria, experts of highly-refined polyphony. And finally, we showcase a mash-up of sorts of a 17th-century German hymn tune that J.S. Bach also set, showing how the German chorale simplifies the harmony and voice leading so complexly developed in the Renaissance into a vertical style that eliminates elaborate counterpoint and allows our ears to more closely understand the text. Though these are highly contrasting styles, they are all in relationship to and conversation with one another, further emphasizing the eternal nature of music.

Critically acclaimed for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts,” (NPR) and as “singers of superb musicianship and vocal allure” (The New Yorker), New York Polyphony is one of the foremost vocal chamber ensembles active today. Their innovative programming spans Gregorian chant to contemporary commissions, and their focus on familiar and rare works of the 12-17th centuries has helped bring early music to modern audiences. Founded in 2006, the quartet’s growing discography includes two GRAMMY-nominated albums, and many of their releases have topped the “best of” lists of major publications. The quartet tours extensively, performing in some of the world's finest concert halls and at major festivals at home and abroad.

📷: Nino Felbab • Utstein Kloster • Mosterøy, Norway • August 2023 | from https://newyorkpolyphony.com/