highly ornamented polyphony
  • CGM
    Posts: 683
    Hey, folks —

    A couple years ago (I think) I stumbled upon a recording on YouTube of an Italian(?) ensemble singing Renaissance polyphony, but each voice part was flooded with ornaments. I remember thinking that it sounded over-the-top and a little bizarre — the singers were very good, but I didn't like the way that the ornaments obscured the clarity of the counterpoint.

    A friend of mine is planning on doing something very similar — singing in an ensemble of ornamented polyphony — and so I wanted to send her this recording, to give her a sense of what it might end up sounding like (equal parts inspiration and warning, I suppose).

    EXCEPT! that I can't find that recording. I can't remember the name of the ensemble nor the title of the piece, and YouTube searches for "ornamented polyphony" have not turned up music similar to what I recall hearing.

    Anyone have any suggestions as to what it is that I'm looking for...?

    Thanks so much!
  • FSSPmusic
    Posts: 217
    My YouTube recommendations just gave me some ornamented polyphony:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eil4FPimXEs
    Neither an Italian ensemble nor from a couple years ago however. Did you find the recording you were looking for?
  • CGM
    Posts: 683
    I don't think that this was what I had seen earlier — but thanks for posting!
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 256
    There is a recording of madrigals by Luzzaschi which contains ornaments. Unusually, the composer evidently wrote out all the ornaments and the continuo part. Here is a youtube clip containing a performance of some of the recording.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2GoNO0upAw
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
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