Josquin Desprez: Instrumental Music

Ensemble Leones: (Raitis Grigalis, baritone; Baptiste Romain, violin, vielle; Elizabeth Rumsey, viola d'arco, viola da gamba; Uri Smilansky, viola d'arco; Kirsty Whatley, harp; Gawain Glenton, cornetto) Marc Lewon, plectrum lute, Renaissance lute, gittern, Viola d'arco, direction

Josquin Desprez
The Instrumental Music of Josquin Desprez (c.1450-1521)
Ile fantazies de Joskin - La plus de plus - De tous biens - La spagna - Fortuna desperata - Une musque de Biscaye - Je sey bien dire - La bernardina - Helas madame - Sy je perdoys mon amy
- L'homme armé - Cela sans plus - A Dieu, mes amours - et al.

Bonus track (world premiere recording) Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) : Sei gelobt, du Baum (for baritone, gittern, violin & double bass)

The debut CD of Ensemble Leones is devoted to one of the greatest composers involved in the initial blossoming of instrumental music: Josquin Desprez (c1450-1521). Although he has earned major accolades for his sacred vocal compositions, this recording is intended as a fitting tribute to his previously neglected secular instrumental works. The pieces have been compiled in 14 musical blocks: in numerous cases, a simple monodic (folk) song provided the model for Josquin's polyphonic elaboration. This original material performed by a solo singer with a simple accompaniment precedes each of the composer's contrapuntal arrangements, permitting a sort of "theme with variations".
As bonus track is presented the new composition "Sei gelobt, du Baum" by Arvo Pärt. It is written for two instruments - a Baroque violin and a Renaissance gittern - which were made from the wood of a 2000 years old piece of silver fir timber dug up in a vineyard in Switzerland. The composition binds together the old instruments and tonal quality of the early music ensemble with the present day.

Price: $24.98