Rating: 3/5
Review:
Thin sound and unengaged performances
I'm afraid this isn't a very good recording. I have never got on well with A Sei Voci's recordings of Josquin; I have found them rather thin in sound and somewhat unengaged as performances. The addition here of the children's choir, however well-intentioned, certainly doesn't help and I find the whole effect rather unpleasing. It certainly doesn't show Josquin's magnificent music at its best.
There is now a truly excellent recording of this mass by De Labyrintho. Rather than go on at length about why I find this A Sei Voci performance unsatisfactory, I will simply recommend that you try De Labyrintho. You will find samples to play on Amazon's mp3 page HERE . I suggest that you try them and if you like the sound, snap up either the download or the CD. It's a real treat.
Sid - great to find your reviews appearing in a way that makes them more easily manageable than Amazon's unsorted list. It's always good to be pointed to something new and exciting, and I can't count the discoveries I've made through your reviews.
ReplyDeleteBeing selfish, though, is there any chance you could tag them a little to help us browse through? I particularly value your thoughts on the renaissance & earlier music, for instance, and a rough 'period' tag though hideously inaccurate (I can't see you employing 'baroque', 'romantic'...?!) would help us browsers leaf through the ones we really want to explore!
Hello, David.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your very kind comments - much appreciated.
Er...tagging? I'm afraid you're dealing with a real Old Git here; setting up these blogs was about the limit of my techie capability, and even then I had to lie down in a darkened room afterward. :o) I will look into tagging because I can see the point, but I wouldn't advise holding your breath.
If I do manage it, what categories would you suggest? I did actually wonder about Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern. Do you think that would do?