Honoured with highest reward by De Standaard Music Magazine (BE)

Early music fans, get ready for this new one from Cappella Mariana: no fusion or cross-over, no recomposition or impro, but counterpoint in its purest form. With a selection from the motets, chansons and masses by Johannes Tourout, the Czech ensemble gives a face to the sadly forgotten West-Fleming, who made it in the mid-15th century to the court chapel of Emperor Frederick III. It is hardcore Renaissance polyphony, with minuscule motifs swirling through the parts, well-balanced melodic lines and a succession of peaks of tension and moments of rest such as only a master dramatist can spread.

With voices such as that of Hana Blazikova, it is no surprise that the vocal collective scores douze points, but also the instruments - which lend a sensual undertone to the inherent melancholy of this kind of repertoire - are top notch. Pearl among pearls: Mais que ce fut secretement that manages to be both heartbreaking and catchy at the same time. (sta)

Hudební magazín De Standaard, 25 May 2022