New York Polyphony, A new wind: Hassler & Regnart

Around 1600, a new wind blows through Central Europe. Vanuit Venetië travel ideas northward: multi-choir, brilliant sound colors, and a musical flair that breathes new life into the Franco-Flemish counterpoint. Hans Leo Hassler absorbs that Venetian glow at Andrea Gabrieli and translates it into an elegant, transparent style in Nuremberg. Jacob Regnart mixes his polyphonic craft with the popular villanella into a sparkling, danceable signature style with which he makes a furore in Prague. New York Polyphony – an ensemble praised worldwide for its rich, natural sound and superior musicianship – shows how both composers reconcile southern swing with northern depth. Rond Hasslers Missa super Dixit Maria ad Angelum unfolds a mosaic of motets, psalms, and songs, supplemented with rarely performed work by the enigmatic Michael Tonsor.