Cappella Mariana & Vojtěch Semerád - Flemish Polyphony in Central Europe: Works by Tourout, Isaac & Weerbeke (2024) [Hi-Res]

With this recording, Vojtěch Semerád and the Cappella Mariana continue their exploration of the Central European musical culture of the 15th and early 16th centuries. Initially focussing exclusively on the unknown Flemish composer Johannes Tourout (PAS1124), this second album also features works by his contemporaries Gaspar van Weerbeke and Heinrich Isaac.

The structure of the programme takes several aspects of this period into account: Flemish artists played a central role as composers and performers, and the reception of previously unidentified regional composers has so far been very patchy. The grey area of the anonymous repertoire conceals true gems of polyphony. Another important phenomenon are compositions in which the original texts are replaced by new ones in order to adapt them for the liturgical context, as is the case with French chansons – the real hits in late medieval and early modern Europe. This recording has also brought to light exciting musical discoveries of the rich Franco-Flemish polyphony in Central Europe.