Ciconia: Merçé o morte

Active in Venice and Padua at the beginning of the 15th century, Johannes Ciconia was undoubtedly the most important composer of this transitional period. Born in Liège and trained in the principles of the French and Italian Ars Nova, he played a considerable role in the musical development that led little by little towards the Renaissance.

His works are in all the forms current for the period: French chansons, Italian ballades and madrigals and Latin motets for particular occasions as well as individual movements from the Mass that proclaim the arrival of the form’s golden age in the 15th century. This recording of his complete works has been entrusted to two remarkable ensembles that are no strangers to Outhere’s catalogue: La Morra for the secular music and Diabolus In Musica for the sacred works and the motets for particular occasions.

Recorded 20th-24th June 1994, Eremo di Ronzano, Bologne.

The critically-acclaimed ensemble Mala Punica came into the limelight by the mid-90s with three illustrious, multi-award winning discs on Arcana, which revolutionised the world of medieval music: Ars subtilis Ytaliaca, D’Amor ragionando and En attendant. Members included Jill Feldman, Kees Boeke and Giuseppe Maletto, some of the most respected names in early music repertoire. As implied by the title of the album, D’Amor ragionando (Discoursing on Love) is a collection of songs about love from 14th and 15th-century Italy and is centred around Francesco Landini, one of the foremost figures in medieval music. Long overdue for re-release, this milestone of the Arcana catalogue, Diapason d’or of the Year in 1995, returns with new artwork and new packaging.