Accentus Austria - Cristobal Galan: Fire & Ice (2013)

This internationally renowned early music group specializes in the powerfully gripping music of the Sephardic romances passed on by an oral tradition, as well as the court and sacred music of the early sixteenth century (Juan del Encina, Juan de Anchieta, Antonio de Cabezón, etc.) and the more complex polyphony belonging to the later part of that same period. The Accentus Ensemble itself was founded in Vienna in 1988. The total group has 13 members who appear in different combinations depending on the demands of the particular compositions and there are also guest artists who are asked to assist in certain performances that draw upon their special skills. The various members of the Accentus Ensemble are especially adept at the improvisational elements native to the performance practice of the early music of Spain. The group has appeared at early music festivals throughout Europe, at the important Semana de Musica Antigua in Seville, and in Israel. -- "Blue" Gene Tyranny