Prophetiae Sibyllarum & Missa Amor ecco colei

"The sound is closer to the warm, multi-hued glint of The Sixteen than to the Tallis Scholars' more austere, primary colored quality. But whatever your preference, these singers never fail to make beautiful music, attending to each element of form, substance, texture, and text to enliven and enlighten our experience of these often surprising, deeply affecting works. Highly recommended." (Disc of the Month ClassicsToday Sept 2012)

Orlande de Lassus was an undisputed master of all the vocal genres of the late Renaissance, from German Lied to Latin Mass. He was extraordinarily prolific, and this recording features the glorious polyphony of the Missa Amor ecco colei and Prophetiae Sibyllarum, one of his most celebrated works. With the latter's extreme chromaticism and constant modulation, Lassus stretched the compositional boundaries of the time to produce one of the most important and advanced works to come from the sixteenth century.

With their immaculate and instinctive performance style, Stephen Rice and The Brabant Ensemble prove the perfect advocates for this challenging music. The ensemble's mellifluous phrasing and luminous tone breath life into these complex and beautiful works.