January 2006

The Fountains of Israel

One of those composers who brought the Italianate style of music back to Germany, Johann Hermann Schein, set a series of Biblical texts in a madrigal-like manner for this charming 1623 publication--we'll hear Sette Voci perform.

Composer: Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630)

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Charpentier’s Mass à 8

The superb French ensemble Le Concert spirituel conducted by Herve Niquet gives us this breathtaking masterpiece for voices, violins, flutes and organ written after Charpentier's visit to Rome.

Composer: Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)

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Obrecht’s Missa Fortuna desperata

This master of the Lowlands is much-beloved among the Dutch early music fans, and the ensemble Odhecaton gives us this grand mass written on a popular tune of the day.

Composer: Jacob Obrecht (1457/58-1505), Francesco Spinacino (active appr.1507)

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Masters of Contrapuntal Music

The evolution of counterpoint was one of the themes of the 2005 Festival, and Paul van Nevel with his Huelgas Ensemble take us on a tour of the 15th century with the famous (Dufay, Josquin) and the rare (Forestier, Kerle).

Composer: Antoine Brumel (c.1460-1512/3), Mathurin Forestier (active approx. 1500-35), Jacobus de Kerle (1531/2-1591), Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), Johannes Ghiselin (active 1491-1507), Alexander Agricola (1445/6-1506), Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474)

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Spotlight on the Netherlands: Christmas in the Tudor Court

The Trinity Baroque directed by Julian Podger give us Thomas Tallis' Missa Puer natus est with other 16th century English music for the season.

Composer: Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585), William Cornysh Jr. (c. 1468-1523), Richard Pygott (c. 1485-1549), Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450-1517), Henry VIII (1491-1547), Hayne van Ghizeghem (c. 1445-c.1495)

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