Transkriptionen

Swiss composer Heinz Holliger's Machaut-Transkriptionen is comprised of a spacious cycle of pieces written over a ten year period beginning in 2001. An imaginative re-investigation of the work of the great 14th century French composer-poet Guillaume de Machaut, it is scored for four voices and three violas. Note-for-note transcriptions of Machaut give way to Holliger's increasingly creative refractions of the music. As Holliger notes, his in-depth study of Machaut opened up new vistas for his compositional activity and his admiration for the source material is mirrored in the outstanding performances of the violists and singers. The Machaut-Transkriptionen proves a perfect vehicle for the Hilliard Ensemble's set skills as interpreters of both old and new music, and this recording, made in 2010 in Zürich, captures the vocal group at the heights of its powers. (Their own affinity for Machaut is also documented on their album of his Motets, ECM New Series 1823).

Featured artists:
The Hilliard Ensemble
David James Countertenor
Rogers Covey-Crump Tenor
Steven Harrold Tenor
Gordon Jones Baritone
Geneviève Strosser Viola
Jürg Dähler Viola
Muriel Cantoreggi Viola