Lanterns of Fire--Love and the Mystic in Renaissance Spain

Review-capsulated

Vocal music from the Spanish Renaissance is too frequently overshadowed by the vihuela revival, thus ignoring the beauty and complexity of Spain's surviving compositions for voice. Fortunately, LiveOak and Company, a highly accomplished vocal and instrument quartet, have partially filled the gap with their fine new release, featuring the talents of soprano Nancy Knowles, Jane Hershey on the viola de gama, and vihuelists and singers Frank Wallace (bass) and Grant Herreid (tenor).

The CD explores the polarities of earthy love and spiritual ascendance in 16th century music from the Iberian Peninsula, occasionally offering an instrumental piece to offset the group's beautifully balanced harmonies. Its songs are in a well-thought out sequence of presentation, each progressing through the vicissitudes of earthy love to the higher realm of spiritual union.

With one exception, each of the 31 tracks is a delight. The singing soars, capturing the joys and melancholy of Renaissance Spain with complex harmonies and a deft touch, and the instrumentals which draw from the compositions of period vihuelists are nothing less than inspired.

Curiously, the group chose to overlay Milan's instrumental masterpiece “Fantasia del quarto tono” with San Juan del Cruz's bittersweet poem “El Pastorcico,” thus obscuring the melody with a flurry of spoken words that have no bearing on the music.

That said, Lanterns of Fire is one of the best compilations of Spanish vocal music available since Shirley Rumsey's Music of the Spanish Renaissance went inexplicably out of print. The liner notes are scholarly, informative and entertaining, and are followed by the original lyrics and English translations, which are necessary for those who do not appreciate the esoteric idioms of renaissance Spanish or Latin. With the exception of Milan's “Fantasia,” each track shines with the stark but stately dignity that typifies the best music from Spain's short-lived golden era.

—Clef Notes by Marc Cramer

Read About This Recording

Frank Wallace is a bit of a Renaissance man — a guitarist, singer and composer who performs music ranging from self-accompanied compositions to songs from Renaissance Spain as part of LiveOak and Company, a porous ensemble he founded with soprano Nancy Knowles.

Wallace is also a master of the vihuela de mano, an instrument popular in the courts of 16th century Spain. It is shaped like a guitar, tuned like a lute and, since he began championing the instrument in the 1970s, the vihuela has enjoyed a bit of a revival in modern music.

Lanterns of Fire tells a story of flirtation and love through the poetry of San Juan de la Cruz and music of 16th century Spanish composers. Wallace returns on the vihuela de mano again, but on this disc he is joined by his Live Oak ensemble that, in this instance, includes Knowles, tenor and vihuela player Grant Herreid and Jane Hershey on viola da gamba. All of the performers on this disc are well versed in the early music scene and deliver a fine and historically accurate recording.

Trying to categorize Wallace under a single label is difficult, at best, and thus this special disc is the best possible introduction to his music and artistry.

—Elaine Sutcliffe

Quotes

”The singing soars, capturing the joys and melancholy of Renaissance Spain ... and the instrumentals are nothing less than inspired. Lanterns of Fire is one of the best compilations of Spanish vocal music available.” —Marc Cramer, Renaissance Magazine

Contents

Part I—The Shepherd in Love: Recercada segunda (Ortiz); Kyre (L'Homme Armé) (Antxieta); ¡A hermosa! (Vásquez); Véante mis ojos (Anon. 15th c.); De dónde venís amores (Vásquez); Noche oscura (Cruz); Niña erguídeme los ojos (Alonso); Dama, mi grande querer (Moxica); Con el viento (Anon.); Mano a mano (Anon.); Pase el agoa (Anon.); Part II—The Shepherd in the Tree: Recercada primera (Ortiz); Gloria (L'Homme Armé) (Antxieta); Diferencias (Conde claros) (Valderrábano); Quien no sabe de penas (Anon.); Juyzio fuerte (Triana); O ascondida verdad (Troya); Fantasía #8 (Milán); El pastorcico (Cruz); Pleni sunt coeli (Mudarra/des Pres); Está la reina del çielo (Anon.); Vexilla regis/passio domini (La Rue); ¡Ay! nada me responde (San José); Caligaverunt oculi mei (Victoria); Tenebrae factae sunt (Anon.): Part 3—The Shepherd in Heaven: Recercada sexta (Ortiz); Santus (L'Homme Armé) (Antxieta); Templa, Bras, ese psalterio (Anon.); Et resurrexit (L'Homme Armé) (Morales/Fuenllana); Llama de amor viva (Cruz); Die nobis, María (Anon.); Alegría, alegría (Ponce); Dios inmortal (Guerrero); Agnus dei (L'Homme Armé) (Antxieta).

Live Oak & Company: Nancy Knowles, Soprano; Frank Wallace, Bass/Vihuela de Mano; Grant Herreid, Tenor/Vihuela de Mano/Lute; Jane Hershey, Viola da Gamba.