Erasmus van Rotterdam: In Praise of Folly

This new project is a Tribute to Erasmus (1466-1536), a Dutch Renaissance scholar, known as the 'Prince of the Humanists'.

Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament and also wrote 'In Praise of Folly', 'Handbook of a Christian Knight' and many other works. Erasmus lived against the backdrop of the growing European religious Reformation; but while he was critical of the abuses within the Church and called for reform, he kept his distance from Luther and Melancthon and continued to recognise the authority of the Pope. His middle of the road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps.

Jordi Savall regards him as a model of wisdom and tolerance.

"though the spoken sections are in French, it's so well delivered - and translated in the book - that even those with minimal French will not feel excluded...What [Savall's] and his musical army give us is a tissue of words and music in the style we have learned to expect from him. Letters and literary extracts are interpersed with music" (BBC Music)

"This is another outstanding release from Alia Vox...The singing and playing of La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hesperion XXI display, as usual, an exemplary combination of stylistic awareness, passion and panache." (Sunday Star Times)

"This extraordinary collection is truly a feast of (Erasmian) reason and beauty." (Gramophone)