February 2025

Orazio Benevolo

The grand polychoral mass in 17th century Rome was perfected by this son of a French pastry chef who became the director of the Capella Giulia at St. Peter’s; this recent recording features Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spiritual ensemble.

Composer: Saint Ambrose, Claudio Monteverdi, Orazio Benevolo, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Girolamo Frescobaldi.

CD Info: Alpha CD 400

The Bevan Consort

For the 50th anniversary of the founding of this family ensemble (11 members sang, while conducted by their father), Graham Ross came in to direct the younger generation of Bevans in a program of scared choral music.

Composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Alonso Lobo, Thomas Tallis, Robert Parsons, Giovanni Croce, Fernando de las Infantas, David Bevan, Gustav Holst, Charles Villiers Stanford.

CD Info: Signum label SIGCD 746

Beauty Farm and Pierre de Manchicourt II

The remarkable Fra Bernardo label continues with rarely-recorded or world-premiere Renaissance works with even more masses by this Franco-Flemish master who died in Spain.

Composer: Pierre de Manchicourt (around 1510-1564)

CD Info: CD FB 2419456

Jeannette Sorrell & Apollo’s Fire

While we have celebrated this ensemble in the past, Jeannette joins us personally this week with two new projects (and a look back at a favorite recording).

Composer: STEFANO LANDI (1587–1639), ANDREA FALCONIERI (1586–1656), LUZZASCHO LUZZASCHI (c.1545–1607), ALESSANDRO PICCININI (1566–1638), BIAGIO MARINI (1594–1663), SAMUEL FRIEDRICH CAPRICORNUS (1628–1665), BENEDETTO FERRARI (c.1603-1681), BARBARA STROZZI (1619-1677), CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643), VIRGILIO MAZZOCCHI (1597-1646), DIEGO ORTIZ (c.1510–c.1576), JUAN ARAÑES (1580–1649), JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750), GEORG PHILLIP TELEMANN (1681-1767), ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741)

CD Info: Avie AV2544, Avie AV2520, Avie AV 2329