From the Imperial Court: Music for the House of Hapsburg— Stile Antico (Harm Mundi 807595)
It turns out that the hook of the Hapsburg dynasty (including Emperors Maximilian I, Charles V and Philip II) does little to stylistically unite the 11 pieces by 10 different composers on this disc. After all, they were written over the course of a century (the 16 th) and in several countries in Europe. No, this is simply a terrific collection of intriguing Renaissance works that are generally not encountered very often. Even some of the composers may be new to you: names like Thomas Crecquillon and Alonso Lobo. But you can be reassured by two things: the inspired focus and warmth of the 16 members of Stile Antico, and the appearance of pieces by names with which you are undoubtedly quite familiar: Josquin Desprez and Thomas Tallis among them.
Featured Wed 6/3, Fri 6/12, Tue 6/23