Voices, gambas, flutes, percussion, renaissance guitar, lira da braccio, and viola da mano–all of these (and more) in varying combinations make the music on this program, compiled to show a representative sample of 15th-century works that Leonardo da Vinci “might have heard.” Leonardo’s skill as a musician–particularly on the plucked instrument known as the lira da braccio–is not usually cited these days among his more illustrious accomplishments, but apparently he was a master improvisor and reciter of impromptu poetry. And so, Denis Raisin Dadre and his fellow performers offer a wide and fascinating selection of secular and non-liturgical sacred pieces from places in which Leonardo lived and traveled–Florence, Milan, Mantua, Rome, and Amboise, France. Many of the composers are anonymous, and most of the others–Faugues, Dalza, Tromboncino, Cara, Richafort–will be familiar only to early music specialists.
The important thing is, how interesting is the music and how well is it performed? The purely instrumental works are notable not only for the appealing array of timbres but also for how they have been chosen to maximize clarity of lines–there’s no overcrowding of texture; and the vocal selections present the voice prominently yet not out-of-balance with the accompanying instruments. The playing emphasizes points of difference in style, from the fairly straightforward melody/accompaniment structure of the French songs to the more improvisatory-like frottole or more highly rhythmic sets of Spanish-influenced Italian dances. The songs are attractive, several exceptionally so–including the anonymous “Deh quanto è dolze”, impressively sung by Anne Azéma, who now is listed as a mezzo and whose voice shows almost no sign of the irritating harshness that characterized and marred most of her performances during the past couple of decades. Her renditions of the Italian songs are uniformly fine–artful, stylish, expressive, and in close communion with her instrumental partners. The same can be said for soprano Anne Quentin, whose clear, unadorned expressive style is ideal for the more straightforward French songs. This may not be the most compelling repertoire, nor is it the most original idea for an early-music program–but it’s a pleasant listen and a satisfying hour for fans of Italian renaissance music.
