Renaissance Vocal Music - English and Italian Madrigals, French Chansons, and German Lieder

KHCD-2012-020DL (STEREO) - Renaissance Vocal Music - English and Italian Madrigals, French Chansons, and German Lieder - Niedersächsicher Singkries Hannover/Willi Träder; Camarat Vocale Bremen/Willy Kopf-Endres; N.C.R.V. Vocaal Ensemble, Hilversum/Marinus Voorberg; Kaufbeurer Martinsfinken/Ludwig Hahn - The performance of secular music was one of the primary sources of entertainment in the late Renaissance. The generation after Josquin began to explore a new style, ushering in the last great era of polyphonic music. The French early on developed the chanson; a group of Netherlanders in Italy began to match the French sophisticated style with Italian lyric poetry, thus creating the madrigal. The English were late to catch on, but had a unique approach that was different from the Italian models. In musically conservative Germany, the musicians seemed inclined toward informal songs about drinking, student festivities and the like. This collection, derived from a factory-sealed early label Nonesuch LP, features four performing ensembles in an enticing slice of Renaissance madrigals, chansons, and lieder.