Rating: 5/5
Review:
An excellent recording
This is yet another excellent recording from Cappella Pratensis. I
already have much-loved recordings by both Amarcord and The Hilliard
Ensemble of de la Rue’s Missa Cum iocunditate which forms the
centrepiece of this disc, but I’m very glad to have this one, too.
De la Rue’s music
is wonderful. He is from the so-called Forgotten Generation which
followed Josquin but has been rescued from forgetfulness by a number
of very fine recordings over recent years and it’s easy to see why.
There is rich, expressive, skilful and very beautiful polyphony here
which I find extremely moving – especially when this well sung.
Cappella Pratensis
are excellent throughout. They sing from single copies of a
manuscripts from Brabant’s Brotherhood of Our Illustrious Lady, of
which Bosch was a member – hence the title of the disc. They are,
as always, technically impeccable with a lovely fluency of line and
real engagement with the text. They have quite a robust, muscular
sound which I like very much and the whole thing is a pleasure to
listen to.
If I had to choose
one recording of the Missa Cum iocunditate it would still be
Amarcord, but that’s just personal taste. This is a top-quality
performance by a very fine ensemble and I can recommend it very
warmly.
