The Capella Amsterdam has often collaborated with instrumentalists, but the group has never outdone this collection of pieces by Orlande de Lassus, variously designated motets and sacred songs, but all of them short a cappella works intensely concerned with the expression of sacred texts. The choir's sound is precise but with a bit more body than the English all-male choirs that seem to be the most frequent performers of Lassus these days; here, an ideally sized 16-voice selection from the main choir is used. The greatest ...
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The Capella Amsterdam has often collaborated with instrumentalists, but the group has never outdone this collection of pieces by Orlande de Lassus, variously designated motets and sacred songs, but all of them short a cappella works intensely concerned with the expression of sacred texts. The choir's sound is precise but with a bit more body than the English all-male choirs that seem to be the most frequent performers of Lassus these days; here, an ideally sized 16-voice selection from the main choir is used. The greatest attraction is the program. Most of these pieces turn up on Renaissance choral programs from time to time, but putting them together has a powerful impact. Most date from late in Lassus' life, and while there is no specific "inferno" mentioned, many have a dark or pessimistic caste. Quite a few set familiar passages from the Bible or from other early Christian texts: Media vita in morte sumus (In the midst of life we are already in death), for example, or Cum essem parvulus, with a...
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