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The late 15th and early 16th century was Spain’s golden age. "The music comes from two main sources - the Cancionero Palacio containing songs and instrumental music from the court of Ferdinand and Isabella; and the manuscript Montecassino 871, associated with the Spanish court in Naples."

This recording is an eclectic selection of music, one that fits this interesting group of early musicians. From solo pieces for vihuela or harpsichord, to ensemble pieces for rebec and viols, to four- and six-part vocal works, this is a florilege of the many styles and forms of music of this period.

Some of the music is gentle and subtle, such as the Differencias sobr'el canto by Cabezon, a solo harpsichord work, or the Fantasia for vihuela by Luis de Navarez. Others are more lively and energetic, like the anonymous Que faray ie mal fortune, for shawm, bombard and sackbut. But all of these pieces have a unique sound and are performed with grace and joy.

What stands out most on this disc is the extreme variety of instruments and types of music performed. But there is one down side to this - the volume of some pieces (especially those for lute, vihuela or harpsichord) is relatively low, undoubtedly reflecting their sound in respect to the louder instruments. This means that, when listening to this disc, one may need to turn the volume setting up and down occasionally to hear the music while not being blown away by the sackbuts.

Aside from that, this is a delightful recording, which offers enough variety for each track to be intriguing, and enough homogeneity for it all to make sense. This disc is a welcome addition to those early music recordings that attempt to capture a period rather than a single composer, and it accomplishes this quite well.

Kirk McElhearn

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