The award wining and worldwide famous vocal ensemble Gothic Voices travel to Italy and the origins of its impressive polyphonic music: A Laurel for Landini – 14th Century Italy’s Greatest Composer.
This disc presents the group performing music by the Italian composer Francesco Landini, one of the most prominent and influential composers of that time and one of the most important for the development of later forms of close harmonic chanting – the forerunner of the famous Madrigal that would flourish later in the 16th century. This disc not only sets out the panorama of the time and the genius of Landini himself but also works by his contemporaries. Here Gothic Voices collaborate with the worldwide acclaimed harpist Andrew Lawrence-King .
This is an important release that will appeal to those interested in singing and early choral music to discover a whole new set and experiments from a composer that helped create the choral forms that later revolutionized the whole of western music.
December 2008
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“As we might expect, the singing here is alert, and confident… an energetic and resourceful attempt to bring this rich and intricate music alive (Più bella is terrific). Andrew Lawrence-King's delicate harp playing is captured beautifully in the clear sound.”
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