Lassus

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It's far less dangerous to be a European radical now than it has been for the last two thousand years. This CD contains two works, radical in their time, by 16th Century composer Orlandus Lassus, sung with aesthetic precision by vocal quartet The Hilliard Ensemble. Today we listen to Lassus for an impression of the perfection of spiritual beauty, powerfully communicated by this recording. It also leaves a window open for those who wish to appreciate music as radical and intellectually challenging as any created these last two millennia. The Church and aristocratic courts of Lassus' time have their modern counterparts of patronage in public arts bodies and record companies, emasculated organisations with the power neither to imprison nor burn at stake. Is this CD an argument for extending the power of the Arts Council and the music industry? Perhaps.