Among the multitude of composers in history, Lodovico Grossi da Viadana is one of the most influential figures in 16th-century Italian music. A maestro di capella in Cremona, Concordia-Sagittaria and Fano, his repertoire consists mainly of sacred music, ranging from motets to masses and psalms. This first opus by the aptly named Viadana Collective offers an introduction to and discovery of part of this composer’s considerable oeuvre. The guiding thread running through the album is the collection Centum sacri concentus ab una voce sola, a significant contribution of the monodic genre to the solo repertoire of the Baroque period, to which are added motets for 4, 5 and 8 voices, as well as various instrumental works. Including the eight selected extracts from this songbook, just over half of the pieces on the album are world premiere recordings.
Beyond the novelty and discovery, it is above all the expertise and vitality of the performance that mark this opus. It features a top-class cast of musicians including the voices of Suzie LeBlanc (soprano), Vicki St-Pierre (contralto), Charles Daniels (tenor) and Roland Faust (bass), accompanied by Bruce Dickey (cornetto) Anna Noelle Amstutz (violin), Catherine Motuz (tenor trombone), Iason Marmaras and Christophe Gauthier (organ). Artistic direction is handled by Maximilien Brisson, a specialist in Baroque trombone interpretation who carries this in-depth project with an expert hand. The musical material is treated with mastery and great craftsmanship, in both instrumental and vocal pieces. Each is carefully chosen to express a variety of musical textures, in which Viadana’s language is accentuated by the musical expression of each instrumentalist. From the majestic opening “Hodie nobis cœlorum Rex”, featuring the precision and luminous, brassy sound of the ensemble, to the vocal figuralism of chants such as “O Domine Jesu”, “Ardens est cor meum” and the intelligent organ improvisations of Marmaras and Gauthier, Sacri Concentus plunges us into a world of rich sound, where the attention to detail, the fine research into detail and the passion are palpable.
