Lassus Musical Biography Maintains High Standards with Volume 3

Roland de Lassus: Musical Biography, Vol. 3
Egidus Quartet and College
Peter de Groot, director
MEW

You'll come for the music, but stay for the biography. The third volume of WEM's excellent series couples first-rate performances of Lassus' music with an in-depth biography that places that music in context.

This volume focuses on the year 1583, when Lassus' relationship with his sponsor,  Albrecht V Duke of Bavaria, was starting to unravel. The music from this time is mostly sacred, featuring the Missa O passi sparsi, along with several motets and the Magnificat supra Las je n'iray.

The Egidius Quartet wisely inserts several "sine textu" instrumental works throughout the program. It provides some tonal variety, and makes the disc enjoyable to listen to straight through. The Egidua Quartet and College perform with pure singing tones that give the selections a luminous transparency.

The release comes with a 62 page hard-bound CD book with color illustrations. It's as much a joy to read as the music is to listen to. Granted, this release will most likely appeal to only hardcore early music lovers. But if you're one of them, this -- and the rest of the series -- is worth the investment.

Di Lasso Penetential Psalms - Expressive beauties

Orlando di Lasso
Setem Psalmi Poenitentiales
Dufay Ensemble
2 CD SET
Ars Musici

The Seven Penitential Psalms are among the most emotionally expressive poetry in the Bible. So it's not surprising that Orlando di Lasso, master of expressive counterpoint, created works of extreme beauty in his settings of these texts.

These works would have originally been performed during Lent, a time of introspection. Di Lasso breaks each psalm down into sections, with each section getting a different treatment. This creates variety of both character and texture, allowing di Lasso work with the inherent musical implications for each section.

Taken as a group, the psalms invite self-reflection and examination. It's only on repeated listening does di Lasso's contrapuntal artistry become clear.

The Dufay Ensemble performs up to their usual high standards. The blend is seamless, and yet each individual line is easy to pick out. My only complaint is that the recording itself is a little dry. Although recorded in a church, the group is so close-miked that there's little ambiance at all. Di Lasso composed this music for the chapel of his employer Duke Albrecht V. To hear these works without some type of decay seems odd somehow.