"This release concentrates its attention on Carnival and Lent, occasions at the time for extremes in indulgence and abstinence—what the liner notes insightfully term the “theater of humors.” What we get from all this are songs urging lust, drink, madness, and food on the one hand, and councils of misogyny, despair, and the welcome of death on the other. There’s much to enjoy in both groups, both obscure and well known, from LeJeune’s amusing and mildly risqué Une puce j’ay dedans l’oreille, to Dowland’s supremely depressing From Silent Night.
Les Voix Baroques isn’t well known, despite having several releases on Analekta and ATMA Classique. They certainly deserve more recognition. Their lineup of six vocalists has repeatedly changed over the years, but the qualities the ensemble exhibits as a whole have not. They display secure intonation and a wonderful vocal blend (East’s Poor is the Life), excellent balance between contrasting textures (Othmayr’s Quis quis requiem quaeris), and a refined sense of dynamics (Vecchi’s Fate silentio)."
Date:
Mon, 06/01/2009