The Dufay Collective - Cancionero: Music from Court of Catholic Monarchs (CD)

Cancionero: Music for the Spanish Court (1470 - 1520) is the first release by the Dufay Collective for the Avie Records label, which acts as a clearinghouse for artist-made recordings. Cancionero was made in 1997 on the Dufay's own dime after it's relationship with the Chandos label reached the point of no return. That the Dufay Collective went ahead with releasing this postponed project rather than creating an altogether new package for their maiden voyage with Avie was a risky but advantageous decision, as this is one of their finest efforts. As with previous discs by the Dufay Collective, Cancionero targets a wide range of repertoire within a specific historic frame, attempting to portray the mood of long-vanished eras in addition to providing expert period realizations of the music. This release focuses on the Spanish Court of Ferdinand and Isabella and the music is drawn from three "Cancioneros," or Spanish songbooks, from the early Renaissance era. There is an amazing range of material presented.