The album highlights that composers of this period expressed melancholy not through minor modes or dissonances, but through limited vocal ranges, small intervals, and serene rhythms.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Pieterskerk Utrecht, the Netherlands, between October 14-17, 2020.
Historical Context
The album draws a connection between the fears of the late Middle Ages, marked by events like the invention of the printing press and the fall of Constantinople, and the theme of melancholy.
Composition History
The Cancioneros Musicales de Palacio and de la Colombina are crucial sources for the secular repertoire of the late Middle Ages, reflecting a unique poetic and musical identity.
Compositional Technique
Ensaladas, another genre on the album, are constructed from fragments of other songs or villancicos, resulting in a mix of poetic meters, languages, and styles.
Album & Artwork
The album's concept explores how stories and myths, particularly those about the end of the world and unrequited love, shape human experience and melancholy.
Compositional Technique
Villancicos, a genre featured on this album, were inspired by popular and folkloric elements, characterized by simple, almost syllabic music and direct, demotic language.
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