Fire-Water -The Spirit of Renaissance Spain Review
Fire-Water -The Spirit of Renaissance Spain Overview
Other recent King's Singers recordings on this label have reaffirmed the ensemble's credentials as compelling advocates of contemporary music. Here, only the most hard-hearted of early music purists could fail to find the infectious cocktail of popular and religious Spanish music--largely 16th century--going to their heads, even if the King's Singers add the occasional theatrical embellishment. The music (much of it by "anon") is organised into five categories, among them "fire" and "water" (with the alternative implications of ardour and alcohol). Of the named composers, none takes the ear more readily than Mateo Flecha the Elder. His La Bomba, one of several lengthy ensaladas (miniature music dramas), steals the show, with its comic tale of a group of sailors' impassioned but shallow prayer for deliverance from shipwreck. Elsewhere, the moods range from pious to bitter-sweet melancholy--and just try and keep your feet still in villancicos like Rodrigo Martinez. Those familiar, warm Harp Consort textures contribute markedly to the overall richness of sound. The King's Singers these days seem to enjoy more recognition abroad than in the UK, yet surely the current line-up has never been bettered. Judge for yourself. --Andrew GreenAvailable at Amazon Check Price Now!
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