quite a bit of dialogue in that recording...

Other recordings of RdF go for plain speaking; Clemencic goes for Rene Zosso's masterly storytelling, half canted with searingly cthonic hurdy-gurdy and half intoned with fitting gesticulations. Being familiar with the work in translation helps, but I always find RZ a joy to listen to!

RZ features on the Machaut too, as RC brings us from the folk musicians outside No(s)tre Dame into the sacred space itself where the mass is sung by four voices. A very potent & beautiful piece of work.

My first intro to Jordi Savall was on a duo LP he made with Trevor Pinnock of early 17th century music for viol & keyboard called The Punkes Delight around 1976. Actually, I have a feeling this might be a pink album too, but like so much else I don't believe it made to CD. Do a search on Google and check out its obscurity! The Alia Vox CDs are my only really bad habit; I was hooked on the earlier Savall CDs on Astree, but since they released Diáspora Sefardí back in 2000 (when Hesperion XX became Hesperion XXI!) I think I've bought most the releases. I'm especially fond of the big books; I hope Santa will be bringing me Jérusalem...