Sollazzo Ensemble Completes the Leuven Chansonnier

The Sollazzo Ensemble has released the final installment of the complete Leuven Chansonnier, a landmark in the recording of 15th-century secular polyphony. The performance practice emphasizes the transparency of the cantus firmus (an existing melody used as the basis for a polyphonic composition) while allowing for improvised ornamentation in the inner voices. This recording is not a museum piece; it is a live investigation into the tonal relationships of the Franco-Flemish school. By avoiding the overly resonant acoustics that blurred earlier generations of early music recordings, Sollazzo restores the clarity of text-setting that defines the Ockeghem era. Score on IMSLP.