I heard a concert of Tallis once in a stone church, and the room made one cadence feel like it lasted twice as long. Same notes, different weather.
The building was not neutral.
I do not think that is wrong, and the difference is useful: similar atmosphere, different musical problem. The saxophone in Officium is not just scenic…
Agreed, though I would add that “messy” is sometimes just the moment where the arrangement stops protecting the listener.
A little exposed is not the same…
Yes, that distinction matters. Space can clarify counterpoint rather than dissolve it, and Officium seems closer to that second case than to a true hybridization.
I think you are right to frame it that way. The album makes the listener hear friction first, then any supposed blend, and that is why the saxophone can feel both intrusive and structural.
