El Cancionero de Montecassino 4 Alfonso V 'El Magnanimo' Adoramus te.

Ave Mans Stella. Ave Ivlaris Stella Anonymous Alle stamenge. Amor tu non roe gabasti. Chiave, chiave. Collinetto. Correno multi cani. Cum autem venissem. Dindirindin. Fantasia. La fille guillemin. Merce te chiamo. Miserere nostri.

0 tempo bono. Piangendo chiamo. Puisque vos me lasses seulete /je ne vous arnare Marioneta. La spagna. Viva el gran Rey Don Fernando. Zappay Cornago Patres nostri peccaverunt. Que's mi vida pregunt3ys Damianus Ave Mans Stellaa Dufayje vos pri mon tres. Magnificat. Veni Sancte spiritus. Vexilla Regis Ghizeghem De tous bien playne Ockeghem Mort tu as navré / Miserere pie Jhesu ,'Andrew Lawrence-King hrp La Capella Reial de Cata)unya /Jordi S avaIl

Alia Vox © AV9816 (145 minutes: DOD)

A vital, wide-ranging survey performed with characteristic fire and flair by Savall's forces

The conquest of Naples on June 6, 1442 was not only of political, but also of considerable cultural significance. The breadth of musical taste shown at the court of Alfonso the Magnanimous may be gauged by the variety of styles and languages contained within the source of the present recording, the cancionero de Montecassino. This historic collection of sacred and secular music - yes 'secular', not 'profane', since any idea of irreverence or blasphemy could hardly be further from the spirit of the programme - was mercifully preserved from destruction suffered during the Second World War by the Benedictine monastery that housed it. 'What is fascinating is the cosmopolitan character of the collection, the frequent crossing of frontiers between the courtly and the popular, with pieces by both named and unnamed composers from across Europe.

The religious section opens with a solemn song of worship and mourning, Adorainits te, wellsuited to the theme of the Good Friday liturgy. The soft sound of viols, harp and a quiet chamber organ, accompanying or alternating with the all-male vocal quartet, is an ideal introduction. In the settings that follow of familiar hymns and chants, alternatim features prominently, contrasting various groupings of voices high and low and period instruments, strings and wind. Damianos's Ave Mans Ste/la, a gently contemplative harp solo by Andrew LawrenceKing, offers a brief moment of quiet repose. Another striking interlude is a vivacious Fantasia for wind and percussion.

The secular music presents an astonishing diversity of language, form and timbre. Italian is frequently used, with French a close second, followed by Castilian. Musical forms include dances, chansons, even one planctus: Ockeghem's Planctus pour la morr de Binchois. As for diversity of timbres, here the instrumental groupings really come into their own - usually four of the six viols, admirably led byjordi Saval I, with a choice of other combinations of cornetto, shavm, sackbut, tuba, lute, harp, organ and percussion. Most noteworthy is the wonderful melody Quec mi vida preguntdys, sung by the soprano Montserrat Figueras with sympathetic viol accompaniment. Top marks, too, for the numerous more boisterous items, especially the mneriy Dindn-indin. Mary Berry