Michael Stein remarked:

>....isn't it wonderful!  To discover a new composer, or period, and
>delve into what has been for me unexplored territory, serves as a marvelous
>reminder that there is always something new to find.  ...I can hardly wait
>for my next obsession!  What's yours?

I'm not sure I'd call it an obsession, but I'm certainly finding myself
agog at a little detour in my usual musical fare.

A few days ago, I borrowed from my local public library:  a CD of music by
Alfonso X, "The Wise;" one Hyperion CD of Monteverdi; and a Naxos double of
Monteverdi, again.  The first two are in the back-to-the-library bag, but
I've been playing the double, "Vespers of the Blessed Virgin," ever since.
It's only 81:22 minutes of music by The Scholars Baroque Ensemble
(8.550662-3), but what thrilling music-making!

This period is very new to me:  I've never been much excited by anything
beyond Allegri's 'Miserere' and one or two other well-known pieces (via
the Tallis Scholars).

In addition to the vocals, there's a continuo section of violoncello,
chitarrone and organ.  Aside from the heartiness of the performances,
what's most astonishing to me is the music's various harmonic complexities.
One example:  musical passages sustained by soloists for long, unchanged
stretches, standing still in exquisite contrast with some amazing choral
flourishes that adorn the background.

The recorded sound is crisp and clear, most of the time.  A few voices
sometimes sound left off in a remote background, and maybe that echoing in
the church where the performance took place is a deliberate further layer
to the singing.  All the same, this tiny pedantic niggle is about just a
few curious moments in the music:  overall, this is striking music-making
that's performed with the greatest gusto.

Thanks yet again to SS, and others, for the recommendation.  Monteverdi's
madrigals were especially praised; I'll be seeking those out a little more
eagerly now.

Bert Bailey, in Ottawa