Obrecht - MIssa Grecorum etc - The Brabant Ensemble

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Another fine recording from The Brabant Ensemble

I like Obrecht’s music very much. There is a sombre beauty in it throughout which I find extremely satisfying and the Brabant Ensemble bring it out wonderfully. They are an excellent choir and, for me anyway, this is one of their finest discs. They are technically impeccable with a lovely fluency of line, a fine engagement with the text and a balance which suits the music perfectly. I find it spellbinding.

The recording is of the excellent quality we expect from Hyperion, with a lovely acoustic which allows the voices to resonate without obscuring the detail. The notes and presentation are also excellent, making this a terrific disc all round. Very warmly recommended.

Isabella d'Este - The Faces of Melancholy

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A delightful disc

This is a delightful disc of music from late 16th- and early 17th-Century English music.

Three composers are represented; two Anthony Holborne and Thomas Simpson are reasonably well known but John Adson was new to me and I am very glad to have made his acquaintance. The music throughout is very good and thoroughly enjoyable. The ensemble Isabella d’Este play it excellently, with proper zest in the lively dances and genuine feeling in the more thoughtful, emotional pieces. It’s beautifully done and very well recorded, making it a really good disc all round. Warmly recommended.