10/10 ClassicsToday.com; 5 Diapasons, Diapason
“Le quatuour fait preuve d'une maîtrise souveraine et expressive de l'art vocal a cappella ... Impressionnante.” Diapason; “You’ll find nothing but reasons to keep listening.” Classics Today; “A must for fans of Renaissance or contemporary polyphony.” Early Music America; “Durchaus von gestischen Ansätzen beflügelt, singen die vier Herren absolut homogen, klangvoll, belebt und drucklos.” Klassik.com;“A beautifully conceived, performed and produced release.” MusicWeb International
New York Polyphony has assembled a programme of sacred vocal music composed largely by Franco-Flemish composers active in the first half of the 16th century, exploring from a number of perspectives the themes of grief, loss and mortality.
This music was produced during a volatile period in European history, a time punctuated by religious persecution, destructive war-fare, and repeated outbreaks of plague and famine. Death was an ever-present and inescapable companion even for the most privileged members of society.
Music played a vital role in helping people cope with the feelings of sadness, loss and anger over death, whether through the raw expression of personal grief in a devotional lament, or the more reserved expression of collective grief found in music intended to accompany a formal liturgical ceremony.
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