Coro Facoltà di Musicologia, Giovanni Cestino
Da Vinci Classics, 2021
“This recording stems from a project centered on Ave maris stella (Hail, Star of the Sea), in which new settings of this well-known hymn from the Middle Ages were commissioned to five composers from different countries (Italy, Argentina, and the US). The new works are presented here alongside musical gems from the extant repertoire. The hymn, probably attributable to Venantius Fortunatus (6th/7th century) or perhaps to Paul the Deacon (8th century), is a prayer to the Holy Mary greeted as the Sea Star, a bright light that directs the uncertain sailing in life’s darkness to a safe harbour. The hymn entered the liturgical canon as part of the Vespers in the Marian feasts, and has longly fascinated composers from all times. For that reason, the album has been titled Mater Alma, i.e. “life-giving Mother”, both an epithet of Mary in the Latin text, and a metaphor of the hymn’s power of inspiring new music—sometimes beyond the original musical or poetic material.” (Chiara Bertoglio & Niccolò Galliano, © 2021)