REVIEWS
Very rarely does something come along in the arts which points the way to a new
vision and direction, but still remains accessible and flows with integrity and
beauty.
Canadian composer Nick Peros has done just that with his Motets,
a new CD of 20 a cappella compositions performed by K-W's
Renaissance Singers conducted by Richard Cunningham, a project which
was recorded in Kitchener's St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church and
supported by local patrons of the arts...
(Peros music) has its roots deeply imbedded into Palestrina, Josquin
and Lassus, but there is an edge here which is not found in those earlier
works and this makes them anything but copies of the masters...the ingenious
integrity of the melodic lines and the surprising chromatic harmonic shifts
lift them (the Motets) far above the ordinary. And careful listening reveals
their hidden complexities.
Some are abundant in canonic imitation¬Love and Faithfulness and Blessed is the
Man, for example. But this is no student attempt at counterpoint, for the
modulations are skillful, unexpected yet subtle, and the sound flows without
hindrance.
It would be easy to dismiss the two-part Motets as nothing more than contrapuntal
exercises, but the compelling sound, the ingenious chromaticism and developed
melodic lines speak of the genius behind the beauty. And I in Righteousness is
compelling, and The Lord Is My Shepherd can stand yet another telling.
The two five-part Motets¬All Glorious is the Princess and Veni Sponsa Christi¬are
remarkable in their texture, surprisingly thick without being ponderous. It is in these that Peros demonstrates
his full powers as composer; for the part movement is smooth while the
progressions are complex...."
- Harry Currie, The Record, Kitchener, September 23 1999,
reviewing Nick Peros-Motets
In Nick Peros' Motets (Phoenix Records, 2000), composer Peros has a surprising understanding and grasp of the human voice as a tool for making impactful effects in song and texts. His motets are beautiful 2-, 4- and 5-part accapella meditations on select biblical psalms and proverbs. Through them, he displays a mastery of a long-lost art of writing accessible, serviceable, yet highly meaningful counterpunctal and fugal writing. This music somehow cleanses one's aural palate, piercing right into the soul. It is beautiful, purposeful composing. Peros writes in the...fugal form of a motet but with a modern composer's voice and contemporary mindset. These works were well presented with the pure voices of the Renaissance Singers (who, conducted by Richard Cunningham, delivered beautifully in track after track,) ringing out in a complex mesh of music making. It's a courageous move for a composer to make an .....art form such as the motet such a strong arm of his voice-especially for a first CD release. Peros does it with a complete understanding of counterpoint and a true sincerity as an artist. These musical declarations of biblical texts exist as a great meditative package in a musical form borrowed from a time when religion and spirituality was the driving force of our civilized world. So poignantly do these brilliantly conceived motets make the release of ancient biblical passages contemporary, meaningful, impactful, and relevant-each of distinct character. These motets are uncorrupted and modern, even visionary. They contain a powerful spirituality that one can only hope is contagious both to the listener and within the ranks of the choir. "He reached down from on High" was devastating in its harmonic impact. "All Glorious is the Princess" strikes a deep, highly contemporary chord where beauty of dissonance/atonality come with a glorious tune-this is consistently the order of the day in Peros' work. This music truly transports the imagination. All in all, these motets feature a mastery and wisdom of compositional grace.
- Linda Maguire, Gadfly Magazine/Gadfly Buzz, March 2001
reviewing Nick Peros-Motets
Canadian composer Nick Peros is fortunate to have such a fine choir perform his music: besides the ensemble's unquestionable technical accomplishment, its youthful sound and distinctively clear, bright soprano quality gives a freshness and vitality to each piece whose value to the overall success of the performances can't be underestimated. As for the music itself--and this by the way, is the first recording of Peros' work--it's full of ideas that show both an understanding of vocal writing and the mark of a well-trained student of compositional techniques... Although this fundamental mastery of mechanics and attention to precedent is fine as far as it goes, as a listener--and certainly as a performer--we're looking for music that possesses that extra level of creativity, of originality, or that just does something familiar but in some way different from everyone else. And in several of these a cappella motets, we find exactly that. One of the more successful motets is the first, Love & Faithfulness. It's not easy to write music like this--four parts, relentlessly rushing in note-and-syllable-heavy imitation--without it sounding either like chaos unleashed or just falling apart of its own incompatible complexity. It works because Peros keeps focused on making his statement and getting out--and not trying to elevate his simple idea by introducing more material...the two-part And I in Righteousness, a sensuously flowing meditation for women's voices, just carries us willingly along, the music assuring us of the text's promise that "when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness." One of the best all-around motets is the four-part I Call On You O God, which shows a skillful integration of the edgy harmonies with texture and melodic material that stands perfectly proportioned to the length and meaning of the text. Another standout is the four-part How long O Lord, where Peros gets full control of his textural, harmonic, and melodic ideas. Sometimes, when several ideas converge, as in the drone-and- flowing-melody of I Will Praise You, O Lord, the effect is starkly stunning. Peros offers some wonderful uses of chromaticism--He Reached Down From On High--and densely scored harmony; and when he focuses on just following the natural lead of a melody (And I in Righteousness), the results can be quite lovely and memorable. This kind of music can hold up to many hearings, and taken individually there are several pieces in this so-called "cycle" that could stand alone...
- David Vernier, Classics Today.com, July 2001,
reviewing Nick Peros-Motets
"Peros is certainly a composer to be reckoned with, if these settings of sacred texts, mainly psalm verses, are any indication. He understands the world of choral polyphony very well indeed and applies his understanding with imagination and taste, and to considerable effect. I would go so far as to say that no lover of choral music should be without this CD..."
- Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen, November 20 1999,
reviewing Nick Peros-Motets
"These pieces are polyphonic and each part is very independent. Sometimes a voice will make an unexpected chromatic shift that at the same time seems very logical and very energizing. Above all, Peros' music is beautiful. It is beautiful, however, without being sentimental, saccharine or trite, embracing the whole contemporary human experience... the music of these twenty Motets, all settings of texts from the Psalms, reflects a contemporary sensibility, no mere imitation of bygone work, but something fresh and new."
- Allan Pulker, The Wholenote, September 1999,
on Nick Peros-Motets
"The icy opening work was Northern Lights by Ontario composer Nick Peros. The chill it sends is the one we in Saskatchewan often experience in watching our familiar auroran dance of the heavens. Orchestral intensities alternate with stillnesses that crackle with the harp, chimes and triangle. The composition is in three sections that trace the buildup and explosion of the lights, then their eventual fading. It comes over as a clear tone poem which, even without its title, can convey the correct image. Northern Lights (is an ) electrically charged, exciting work..."
- David Green, The Leader-Post, Regina,
reviewing Northern Lights
"Nick Peros' Northern Lights is far more complex (than the previous work on the program). It's music for a modern dance ballet depicting the Northern Lights and achieves great expressive subtlety moving from the light-hearted frolic of the awakening lights to the full majesty of the Dance of Colors with complete conviction. It was a work of texture, layers of color... and rhythmic shiftings..."
- Hugh Fraser, Hamilton Spectator, November 8 1994, reviewing the World Premiere of Northern Lights
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