CD Review of Rosa das Rosas
By Frank DeWald, Okemos, Michigan
Choral Journal; April, 2007
The Rose Ensemble is a Minnesota-based early music group which, like the Waverly Consort, weaves folk, medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music (both insturmental and vocal) into a rich and dramatic tapestry as entertaining to see as to hear. Rosa das Rosas is their seventh CD, available on their Web site, on Amazon.com, and from select Minnesota dealers. The program is centered on six cantigas from the collection of Alfonso X, around which are grouped Italian laude and pieces from the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. All are unified by some textual connection to the Virgin Mary.
There is splendid variety here. Although much of the music is monophonic, the ensemble utilizes discreet instrumental accompaniment, including harp, psaltery, vielle, and percussion. The numerous stanzas of the cantigas are varied by timbre, range, accompaniment and the occasional use of primitive harmonizations; two of them are performed by instruments alone, and one is recited rather than sung—in the manner of a monodrama. Even the longish (over nine minutes) Una sanosa porfia of Juan del Encina is kept interesting by the aternation of various voicings and subtle percussion. There are 11 singers in the group; they typically sing in an unaffected manner, sometimes adding a slight edge to the tone. Tuning is impeccable. The performances, based on thorough and up-to-date research, are impassioned and brightly alive.
The presentation is attractive (forgoing the usual plastic jewel case for an appropriately decorated cardboard sleeve) and the ambient acoustic (Webster Music Hall at the University of Minnesota, Duluth) is appropriately church-like. Notes, texts and translations are provided. Highly recommended to lovers of this repertoire.