Search - Walter Frye, Anonymous, Marguerite d' Autriche :: Whyte Rose

Another triumph for the Ferrara Ensemble.

03/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Ferrera Ensemble is one of the most valuable medieval groups. I have a few other favorites: Mala Punica, Alla Francesca, and the can-do-no-wrong Ensemble Gilles Binchois, but no other group has performed such obscure and often difficult French fifteenth century vocal music so beautifully or with more grace.I assume, if you have gotten to this page, that you are familiar with this group or the music of the period and are simply wondering if this CD is worth your sixteen dollars. If so, then this disc is essential.To those unfamiliar with either I should point out that this CD is taken up the music of, roughly, 1450-1480. It contains both sacred and secular vocal music, in the forms of the chanson (French song) and the motet. These are sung in French, Middle English, and some Latin. There are a couple of intrumental tracks, some with only voices, and some employing both. The intruments used are the lute, the harp, and ancesters to the harsichord and the 'cello. There is no percussion and none of the rowdy dancing songs one may find on Medieval albums. Indeed, this album is rather subdued and stately. The composers are English, Burgundian, and French; as a whole it represents what the music in the court of Burgundy sounded like. I recommend it to anyone interested in Medieval or early Renaissance music, and cautiously recommend it to the wider group of people who simply love beautiful vocal music. Some of these people will be bored or attempt to treat it as "mood music." This is fine, but for me, no other music is so haunting; there is a compelling sense of mystery and romance that is brought out with such subtlety and discretion by the lovely voices of this ensemble, making it one of my most prized CDs.Also- for those swayed by such things, this disc recieved a Diapason 5, a Repertoire 10, a recommendation from Classica, and an enthusiastic review from Gramophone, which can be found on its web site. The recorded sound is rich and supple and the packaging is beautiful."