Anonymous 4 - The Second Circle: Love Songs of Francesco Landini (2001)

There is no doubt that Anonymous 4 is a highly skilled ensemble. The combination of exceptionally beautiful voices with technical perfection has attracted attention for them from all over the world. As Francesco Landini is my favorite composer of all time, I was quick to purchase this album. However, as with all Anonymous 4 albums, I was totally dumbfounded by the fact that every one of the tracks sounded just like all the others. They sound very pretty, very sweet, totally perfect - but unfortunately, also very boring.
Now we're not talking here about Gregorian chant. This is meant to all sound alike, as its purpose is not to entertain, but to raise the consciousness of the listener. We're not talking about French motets, either - which need to be interspersed with troubadour and trouvère music or other genres of song if they aren't going to eventually sound all the same. This is Landini - a powerful and intense composer whose compositions range in mood from fierce anger to passionate and painful obsession to black despair to sheer joy. But I found more of Landini's power in Gothic Voices' rendition of one song, Nessun ponga sperança, than I heard in this entire album.
It is only Landini's genius that keeps this album from sounding totally insipid. I'm sorry, maybe I am too Hollywood, but I prefer the sounds of groups like Micrologus, Alla Francesca and La Reverdie. Their voices may not be quite so gorgeous, their vocal skills not quite so technically perfect. But they come from a deep intuitive sense of what Landini was trying to express through the song, and, frankly, are fine performers as well as singers.
As a director of a vocal ensemble that is trying to master Landini, I'll listen to this album again and again to get ideas for songs to use in future concerts. But Anonymous 4 need never worry that we'll try to imitate their performance technique. I recommend this album for diehard Anonymous 4 fans, Landini enthusiasts and beginning-to-intermediate students of early music.