Image: Musician Angels, the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck
     RENAISSANCE MUSIC - CD deutsche Version  




Cesena - Music of the Codex Chantilly
Graindelavoix
Glossa GCD P32106


Shortly after the publication of the Chantilly pieces by Tetraktys quite a different version with strong alterations of colours and quarter tones etc., interpreting the texts quite strongly. Unfortunately, there are no translations of the complex texts given and only very superficial and short notes. This is not what one can expect from a serious artist such as Björn Schmelzer!

Codex Chantilly
Ensemble Tetractys
Etcetera Ktc 1905


Very refined repertoire of the so called Ars Subtilior. The playing is very sensitive albeit a little too tame. The singing is beautiful but the text not always very present. More consonants please!


Audiofiles


 

Josquin instrumental fantasie
Ensemble Leones
Christophorus 4929549


Instrumental fantasies of the last third of the 15th century are not very well known. The present interpretation is in many respects exemplary. The origin in free improvisation is still present in a very immediate and lively approach of the players. Very good balance between single voices and a common breath. The instruments are wonderfully warm and speaking, as is the solo voice of Raitis Grigalis. Very good sound recording.


Audiofiles 

Music from the Ms. Krasinski (Poland around 1440)
Musica Divina
Bearton CDB034


In 1944 the Germans burnt down the famous Krasinski library. Thousands of manuscripts and prints vanished in the flames. Thus we have today a very little idea of Polish music in the Renaissance. Miraculously one manuscript survived the flames. Composers like Mikolaj of Radom had international standing, as we can hear now in comparison with e. g. Ciconia. Musica Divina sings rather mainstream, but the repertoire is very much worth being discovered.


 

Alexander Agricola, Missa In mynen zin and Chansons/Motets
Capilla Flamenca
Ricercar Ric 306


Agricola is very fashionable these days. Once more an excellent recording with Capilla Flamenca. Wonderful phrasing and musical sensuality. 

Cecus - Music by Agricola, de la Rue and Josquin
graindelavoix
Glossa GCD P32105


After their very excentric and controversial Ars subtilior cd, Graindelavoix sounds now much less weird and there is less mix of very different styles of singing, which is no disadvantage. Extremely beautiful and powerful singing. The ensemble sounds more homogenous and emotionally touching. There is certainly no more moving rendering of Agricola's Fortuna desperata on the market. Very interesting thoughts about colour, texture and gesture in music by Björn Schmelzer.  

Ockeghem & Compere
La Main Harmonique
Ligia Digital 0202217


Chansons by Ockeghem, Compere and Agricola. Some of the Ockeghem chansons like Aultre Venus and La despourveue  have been rarely recorded. Very clear and nice rendering of instruments and voices, good phrasing and text rendering. All the more astonishing that there are no translations in the booklet.

Vivat Leo - Music from the papal court in the Codex Medici
Cappella Pratensis, Joshua Rifkin
Works by Willaert, de la Fage, Motun, Josquin, de Silva and Festa
Challenge Classics CC 72366  


This CD is exemplary in every respect. Perfectly clear text, wonderful phrasing, every voice individually recognizable, great musicality. Also, a beautiful mixture of familiar works and new discoveries. And not to be underestimated: a booklet equally well written for amateurs and professionals!

Josquin: Masses on L'homme armé
Ensemble Métamorphoses
Calliope 9441


This is the best interpretation of Josquin's L'homme armé super voces musicales and Sexti toni I know. Wonderful individual voices, the musical rhetorics clearly brought out, and what is more, emotional singing!


Soundbites 

Ars Nova in the Netherlands
Capilla Flamenca

Musique en Wallonie 0852

This repertoire is only transmitted fragemtarily. All the more this beautifully sung Cd fills a gap in the cd catalogue. Sometimes the pronounciation is a little sloppy.

Details


 

Codex St. Emmeram


Stimmwerck
Aeolus 10023

Our partner Stimmwerck has released a wonderful cd presenting music from one of the most important sources of 15th century music. Their text presentation and ensemble singing is truly exemplary. The repertoire is a compendium of european music from the early 15th century.

Audiofiles


New
Music from the time of Leonardo da Vinci
Toronto Consort
Marquis 81357

Laudae, Madrigals, Frottole and instrumental dances from Tromboncino, Cara, Dalza, etc.

Audiofiles


Antoine Brumel: Missa Victimae paschali laudes and motets
Hilliard Ensemble
Coro Cor16052

This is a very fine live recording of the Hilliards from 1997 showing their extraordinary qualities: exemplary rendering of the text, perfect phrasing and wonderful interaction of the voices. All needed for works of Brumel that need a blance between architecture and line.

Audiofiles


Francisco de Peņalosa: Missa El Ojo and Motets
Ensemble Peņalosa
Organum Classics Ogm 261081

Peņalosa (ca. 1470-1528) is the founding father of a whole generation of Spanish composers. His style is firmly embedded in the flemish tradition, highly expressive and varied. This record gives a beautiful rendering of a large scope of his work although it could and should have been more rhetorically oriented.

Details and audiofiles


Pierre de la Rue
Missa Incessament

Ensemble Amarcord
Raumklang RK ap 10105

A true masterpiece sung in an exemplary way by a partner of our foundatione: Ensemble Amarcord!

Soundfiles

        by novamatrix