Apart from the frottola composer, Bartolomeo Tromboncino, the organists Hans Kotter and Paul Hofhaimer, and Ludwig Senfl, the composers here are minor masters of the Upper Rhine and Württemberg regions, such as Benedictus Ducis, Wolfgang Dachstein and Sixt Dietrich. Michal Gondko’s booklet notes provide a fascinating, survey of this repertoire.

La Morra performs its skilfully selected and ordered programme alternately with an alta (loud) ensemble featuring a slide trumpet, shawm, sackbut and cornett, a bassa (soft) ensemble consisting of lute, bass viol, flute, and clavicytherium (an upright harpsichord, modelled on the late 15th-century instrument of the Royal College of Music in London), and the occasional solo lute or keyboard.

Ninot Le Petit’s keyboard intabulation of Mons seul plasier is arranged for a gentle clavicytherium and lute duo, while excitement is provided by the bursts of florid ornamentation from William Dongois’s cornett in the alta ensemble, reflecting the c.1500 emergence of the cornett virtuoso, Augustein Schubinger. In addition, Arianna Savall’s lovely soprano is heard in three works, including Tromboncino’s famous Vergine bella, with Gondko’s lute taking the lower voices. In a word: delightful.
CHRISTOPHER PRICE

Ex Libris Doctoris Amerbachii
VARIOS
La Morra
Michal Gondko, Corina Marti
Musiques Suisses MGB CD 6237
2005 - 59:25 min.