Rating: 5/5
Review:
Beautiful Dufay
I love this disc. I
don't always find Dufay easy to listen to, but this is a rich, moving and
satisfying performance.
Dufay's music is from the mid-part of the 15th
Century and so can have a spare, even austere sound to the modern ear. This can be very lovely, but in some
recordings I find the spareness slips over into bleakness which can be tough
going for the duration of an entire mass setting, say.
I think Diabolus in Musica get this just right. They bring a warmth of sound and lovely, full
resonance and warmth of sound to it which, combined with a sedate but
appropriate tempo, makes the music glow while never slipping into blandness or
losing the music's sense and structure.
Technique is excellent, with impeccable intonation and a lovely fluency
of line. They sing at a lower pitch with
countertenors taking the top lines, which emphasises the bass lines
beautifully, and the whole thing is a real pleasure to my ears.
This is one of the loveliest and most accessible recordings
of Dufay that I know. Alpha make their
usual excellent job of both recording and presentation, making it an all-round
gem, I think. Very warmly recommended.
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