Search - French Anonymous, Canciero de Montecassino Anonymous, Johannes Cornago :: Napoli Aragonese: Micrologus

A thorough delight from start to finish

Sator | Sydney, Australia | 08/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If the title of the recording ever puzzled you a little then just think to yourself who Henry VIII's first wife was - Catherine of Aragon of course. She was from the Kingdom of Aragon in Spain, the center of which was Barcelona. However, at its height the Spanish Kingdom extended into Northern Italy when in 1443 Alfonso I triumphantly entered into Naples. The music included comes from Franco-Flemish, Spanish and Italian sources with manuscripts surviving mostly in Naples. Naples became a meeting point for three cultures: Spanish, or more exactly Castilian-Aragonese culture; the native Italian culture of the region, and the Franco-Flemish influences, which had so dominated European music at the time. The disc is divided into three sections devoted to French, Spanish and Italian music respectively. A fourth section consists of festive works for a Neapolitan celebration.



Micrologus is an Italian early music group that specializes in Mediterranean Medieval music. Their repertoire ranges from music of the Duocento to the Quattrocento. The ensemble for this recording consists of four musicians, although Micrologus has between five to 11 active members. The play the several different instruments and also make vocal contributions. Instruments include medieval harp, vihuela, lute, viola da gamba, trombone and percussion just to name a few.



As for their playing, it is a thorough delight to listen to from beginning to end. They have flair, a joyfully Mediterranean temperament and exude the most infectious enthusiasm for the music throughout. They perfectly balance music of the greatest evocativeness and some bucolic dance pieces. If you know early music mostly from the Oxbridge groups with their more severe Northern approach to things then this sunny Italian group will surely put a smile to your face.



Goldberg early music magazine gave this recording a rave review and awarded the prestigious Goldberg five star award with the comments: "A supreme show of musical know-how and a model to be taken into account by performers and scholars".



This is an absolutely wonderful recording. The recorded sound too is excellent - vivid, with full sound staging and very `alive'.

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