Jordi Savall’s Beethovenian quest does not exclude him from the repertoire he once took to the heights. At Astrée, the chef had already taken an interest in Victoria through hymns dedicated to the Virgin. We are here in the most substantial and arduous, with 3 h 20 min of music. This “Officum Hebdomadæ Sanctæ” of 1585 predates by 20 years the famous Requiem which concentrates most of the discographic attention given to Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611). The 3 discs were recorded during two concerts given at the Salzburg Festival in 2018. The conditions and quality of production say a lot about the behavior and mastery of the musicians. Because, as Savall writes, everyone must demonstrate “a purity of commitment and extreme sensitivity”. We must here understand Victoria as the successor of Palestrina (1525-1594), as these Answer, wailing and other manifestations of piety, subtly doubled by instruments, are austere and subtle complaints. Collected, intimate, mystical, this course is tamed little by little.
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