Gesualdo definitely takes the cake for sheer weirdness among Renaissance composers. Perhaps because he was enormously wealthy and had to please no-one with his musical compositions, he opted for great harmonic experiments to help him with his word painting. A soul in trouble in Gesualdo’s music, believe me, is a soul in trouble; I might add that a choir singing this music could get into an equal amount of trouble. This brilliant CD presents nine motets–Tenebrae Responories from the Good Friday liturgy–and Andrew Parrott has wisely,and kindly, included a few moments of chant between them. Had he not, this program would be almost too much to take. The cruel dissonances, eccentric rhythmic and harmonic changes, suspensions which can create a type of dizziness, all are so disorienting that the chant grounds us anew and gives our ears and souls time to rest. Suffice it to say that these performances are flawless: The singers are spot on at all times and no technical switch seems too difficult for them. The group’s three countertenors are formidably mellow and the lower voices handsome. This is tough stuff, perhaps to be taken in 20 minute bits, but it’s worth all the trouble it puts our minds to. Simply ravishing.
