Search - Continens Paradisi :: Codex Reina: Ballades

One of the best recordings I've heard of this repertoire

E. Palladino | Bronx, NY USA | 10/26/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have recently been studying 14th Century French music and have become very interested in it and have purchased several recordings. The manuscript entitled Codex Reina had been referred to in the class so when I saw this recording by the same name I was intriqued and the package looked so beautiful I had to buy it. I had never heard of the performers or the label so I had no idea if I would be wasting the money. If you like this kind of music you will love this recording. All of the selections come from the first part of the Codex dealing with pieces from the time of Machaut. Nine of the anonymous pieces are works unique to this particular Codex. The performances are beautiful, neither pretentious nor mannered. The two singers have wonderful tone quality and the period instruments are played with finesse. And the solely instrumental selections are just as beautiful as the vocal ones. The booklet that comes with the recording is also beautifully done with notes presented in Italian, English, French, and German. The original French texts are translated into English and Italian with notes indicating modern French equivalents of certain words. There are several beautiful illustrations, including reproductions of two pages from the codex so that you can see what the original notation looks like."