November 2006

The Swiss Lute School: Hopkinson Smith and Kapsberger

This season, our series from Switzerland will look at Swiss performers and their influence--this week, one of the brightest pupils of the legendary Swiss lutenist Eugen Dombois, Hopkinson Smith.

Composer: Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (c.1580-1651)

CD Info: CD# E 8827

Monteverdi and Stephan MacLeod

Born in Geneva, Stephan MacLeod studied in Lausanne--in a recent recording he joined the brilliant Maria Cristina Kiehr and Concerto Soave in some of the delightful little musical "Scherzi musicali" of Claudio Monteverdi.

Composer: CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)

CD Info: CD #HMC 901855,

Alexander Agricola: The Masses

The fine Hungarian ensemble A:N:S Chorus conducted by Janos Bali continues their series dedicated to the masses of Agricola with two based on chansons by illustrious Lowland predecessors: Guillaume Dufay's "Le serviteur" and Antoine Busnois' "Je ne demande."

Composer: ALEXANDER AGRICOLA (c. 1456-1506)

CD Info: HCD 32267

Alexander Agricola: The Chansons

In honor of the 500th anniversary of the death of this great Ghent-born composer, Fretwork and countertenor Michael Chance give us the chansons and consort works in a new release from Harmonia Mundi.

Composer: ALEXANDER AGRICOLA (c. 1456-1506), NINOT le PETIT (fl. c. 1500), PIERRE de la RUE (c. 1452-1518), HEINRICH ISAAC (c. 1450-1517)

CD Info: HMU 907421