Consort Music for Viols in 4, 5 & 6 Parts

Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger, (ca.1575-1628) came from a long line of musicians. A musician at the court of Elizabeth and a personal friend of William Byrd, this Italian composer's works were seminal in the birth of the English Baroque. He transformed most types of chamber music, a domain in which England had always been sacrosanct, uninfluenced by the continental genres. His great sense of the new and his extraordinary gift for counterpoint opened up new horizons in music for the viol consort. In the standard repertoire, Ferrabosco expanded the vocal register and forged a new linear style, combining elements of the ricercare with the rhythms and verve of the canzona, whilst preserving the basic formal characteristics of both. Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI shed new light on this exceptional composer, who until now has been unjustly neglected both in performances and recordings.

" I rarely discuss perfection in music. I have no qualms about this with members of Hespèrion XX, this is the embodiment of musical perfection."
- The Boston Globe