Firenze 1350 — Sollazzo Ensemble
Un jardin médiévale | A Medieval Florentine Garden

[5.3.2020]


medieval.org

Ambronay  055

release date: March 27, 2020









[5.3.2020]

[29.4.2020]

medieval.org Remarks

http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/remarks.html
21 April 2020
Todd M. McComb

———


Firenze 1350 is the fourth album from the young Sollazzo Ensemble, and to avoid any pretense of suspense here, it was also added to my personal list. Since winning a recording contract, Sollazzo Ensemble has drawn quite a bit of attention, with this latest album having been visited here at the FAQ more than most before I could get to this write-up.... Yet their first album was released only in 2017, even as it seems much longer ago now (& indeed their previous, Leuven Chansonnier Vol. 1, is still on the "recently issued" list here...).

And while their performances had been appealing, including as exemplifying the next generation of conservatory technique, the programs have generally been of the motley sort, and so haven't really grabbed me in terms of exploring repertory (as opposed to refining technique). When it comes to this "medieval Florentine garden" though, most programs continue to involve a variety of composers & sources anyway, and so a mixed program seems normal — & in this case, actually more focused than most of their previous releases (which have been thematic). And even the sacred tracks bring something compelling here, seeming to fit right into the program as a whole....

Of course, another factor around this particular album is that director Anna Danilevskaia had already appeared (albeit on only one track) with Ensemble Syntagma — led by Alexandre Danilevski — on their two Trecento albums (which still seem relatively recent, but are actually from 2008 & 2011), along with (sister?) Sophia, who has appeared on all three. So there's a specific history, and Sollazzo builds on that history, becoming both less idiosyncratic (as e.g. there's a carillon track on Rosa e Orticha), as well as more precise & expressive — including via better sound engineering. There's less cumbersome orchestration, with variety arising more organically from the ensemble... & generally a greater command & sophistication emerging with time & attention, as one would expect (or at least hope).

The result makes a strong opening impression, even as the breakneck voices become a little choppy keeping the rhythm in the showy first track, cadencing magnificently into the following instrumental.... There is nothing stiff here, and the ensemble's handling of mensuration is also exemplary, allowing lines to regain their own sense of space, especially in moments of repose: It's not a raucous performance, but rather a charged & colorful one, bringing a potent expressiveness to a repertory that appears relatively often — in general — on record, but never systematically. (And perhaps it's about time for that latter point to change.)

[29.4.2020]