Franghiskos Leontaritis, a 16th-century composer of Greek and Italian heritage, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Crete and worked as an organist before moving to Venice and Munich to sing and compose.
Historical Context
After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Crete became a prominent center for Renaissance culture under Venetian rule, influencing Byzantine church music.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded live in the Church of the Life-Giving Spring in Aspro Chorio, Paros, Greece.
Performer Biography
Cappella Romana, the vocal chamber ensemble performing on this album, was founded in 1991 on the Pacific Coast of the USA.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The program for this album was chosen to reflect the chronological and geographic reach of both the Byzantine tradition and Cappella Romana, ranging over six centuries and locations from Constantinople to California.
Compositional Technique
Manuel Gazes, a 15th-century imperial court musician, composed two-part works notated in parallel lines of Byzantine musical signs (neumes), showing an interest in Western polyphony.
Performer Biography
Alexander Lingas, the artistic director of Cappella Romana, is a Senior Lecturer in Music at City University London and a Fellow of the University of Oxford's European Humanities Research Centre.
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