Matthew's Journal

I've never really blogged about music much, even though it's something that I get a lot of pleasure from. I suspect this may be partly a fear of boring people, or appearing nerdy (though I really should have got over the latter by now), and partly that until recently I had a radio show in which I could enthuse about early music. I'm really missing it, although maybe no-one else is ;)

Anyway, this evening I've been listening to Lassus' Missa pro defunctis, performed by the Hilliard Ensemble (it's on a disk with his Prophetiae Sibyllarum, which are a somewhat different work!), and it's lovely. I have a fair selection of settings of this, and Lassus' is perfectly formed, and restrained without being bland. That's not to say I don't like the fireworks of Mozart's setting, but by the time you get to Verdi or Puccini, I think they forgot it's meant to be a liturgical work! Lassus' work has a timeless and contemplative feel to it, and certainly rewards careful listening to pick up more of the structure.