English Renaissance music completists, where are you? Here’s the perfect stump-your-local-musicologist recording, a setting of the well-known Lamentations of Jeremiah texts by a 15th-century composer about whose life and career “nothing is known.” The manuscript for this work, which probably dates from the late 1400s, resides at Cambridge University’s Magdalen College, and because of ambiguities of origin and scoring, it’s not certain whether the lone surviving vocal part was included in a polyphonic setting or was intended as a monophonic song. The performers on this recording decided to regard the setting as one for single-voice, and provide accompaniments for various flutes and symphonia (here a drone stringed instrument like a hurdy-gurdy). The elaborate, extended vocal lines are sung with consummate care and wide-ranging expression by soprano Maria Jonas who skillfully and seamlessly weaves lavish ornamentation into the primary melodic fabric. The flutes, which occasionally take over the melody (“in those phrases that Tuder left without text”) provide effective, complementary color and support to the voice. The sound is warm and intimate, ideal for the music and performers. There’s nothing profound or even essential here; but it’s an interesting diversion, especially for listeners intrigued by the idea of music written by a composer who’s not listed in the history books.
