PRE-ORDER: Jean Richafort: Motets [CD]

This new recording shines a light on Jean Richafort, one of the leading figures of the Franco-Flemish Renaissance, whose life and work have recently been reassessed in the light of new musicological research. A successor to Josquin des Prez, Richafort developed a highly expressive polyphonic language that combines textual clarity with remarkable contrapuntal richness. The program brings together twelve motets reflecting the major seasons of the liturgical year, from the Passion and Resurrection to Marian devotion. Preserved in numerous printed editions and manuscript sources across Europe, these works testify to the composer's widespread reputation during the sixteenth century. They reveal the full breadth of his inspiration, balancing spiritual meditation, architectural mastery and expressive intensity. Through the coherence of it's program and the quality of it's interpretation, this recording makes a valuable contribution to the rediscovery of Jean Richafort as one of the foremost masters of Renaissance polyphony.