Constanzo Festa (1485 - 1545) was the first major native Italian polyphonist after the domination of composers from the Netherlands in Italy and combined both styles. Despite the fact that a substantial amount of his music is preserved, recordings seem very thin on the ground. Paul van Nevel did a disc of choral music, included in the "Secret Labyrinth" box, and an instrumental one. Festa is said to be the beacon for his successors, notably Palestrina.
This is the only complete recording of the Lamentations, and despite some minor reservations I think we are lucky to have it.
The 11 male members of the French ensemble
Scandicus give a dedicated, small and intimate performance. The sound the ensemble is on the smoother and mellow side. It could more edgy, but it is beautifully done - intimate and touching. The music itself is pretty, though perhaps not breathtaking. Scandicus keep these predominantly homophonic works sufficiently transparent.Though this would be a perfect piece for
Cinquecento to record!
