Huelgas Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel - Ferrabosco: Psaume 103 / Motets & Madriguax (2005)

Historical novelists, take note! The life of Italian-English composer Alfonso Ferrabosco (1543-1588) would make a terrific tale with its mix of music and political intrigue. Ferrabosco moved from Catholic Italy to Anglican England as a young man and served, depending on who is to be believed, as a diplomat, a spy for Queen Elizabeth, or a double agent. He moved to Paris, returned to Italy, was seized by agents of the Pope, and was finally released as a result of high-level negotiations initiated by Catherine de Médécis, perhaps at Elizabeth's behest, but died, suddenly, a short time later. Throw in some sexy madrigal lyrics and an invented romance or two, and you've got yourself a bestseller.
The musical story is nearly as compelling, for it was Ferrabosco who brought a highly expressive version of mid-century Italian styles to England and thus must be counted as an important contributor to the Elizabethan musical golden age. His sinuous lines and ambitious large-scale designs, which are tonally complex without being overly dissonant at the local level, influenced Tallis and Byrd on the sacred side and inspired native English madrigalists in the secular realm. This is one of a series of discs by Paul van Nevel and his Huelgas Ensemble exploring forgotten composers of the Renaissance. Included are a large, 12-section psalm setting, three madrigals, two motets, a French chanson, and an instrumental In nomine. All are likely to leave you wondering why you have heard so little of Ferrabosco's music, and the luscious, warm sonics of the Franciscan chapel in Lille where the disc was recorded complements the music unusually well. One wonders, however, why van Nevel did not choose to draw a stronger distinction in sound between the sacred pieces on one hand and the madrigal-type works on the other; they were intended for different situations and would not have sounded as similar as they do on this album. Despite this issue, the CD makes Renaissance music come alive.