Laude, or 'songs of praise,' were initially monophonic strophic songs in the Italian vernacular, but by the 15th century, polyphonic techniques were incorporated into the genre.
Composition History
Heinrich Isaac's polyphonic Mass Propers, including one heard on this album, were commissioned by the clerics of Konstanz Cathedral and later published posthumously as the Choralis Constantinus.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Isaac, a composer featured on this album, spent significant periods in Italy, serving the Medici in Florence and the Este family in Ferrara, and was influenced by Italian music.
Interpretation
This album by Capella de la Torre aims to present an Italian Christmas from around the year 1500 as a "surround-sound experience."
Compositional Technique
The album contrasts popular laude, which are simple, song-like traditional pieces, with polyphonic music, including a world premiere recording of a Mass Proper by Heinrich Isaac.
Historical Context
The album highlights that in Renaissance Italy, spiritual and secular elements were not separate, but flowed effortlessly into one another, a characteristic of the age.
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