Description
Discovered as a result of their previous recording of works compiled by Dowland's son Robert, 'A Musicall Banquet' was comprised of English songs, but having turned the page, Belgian mezzo-soprano Anna Nuytten and lutenist Thomas Langlois, found text in French entitled 'Airs de Cour'. The music on that page was composed to a French poem, in a noticeably different style than the preceding songs. The piece in question was Si le parler & le silence by Pierre Guedron (1570-1620) which in a way was no surprise as Guedron is considered one of the leading composers in this genre. While a few other airs de cour appear in English sources, the majority are naturally found in French publications. Originally, they were often four-part compositions, but many of these songs are known in arrangements for solo voice and lute. This new recording presents a selection of Airs de Cour publications for lute and voice. Anna Nuytten has worked with renowned vocal coaches and artists such as Delphine Galou, The King's Singers, Emma Kirkby, Simone Kermes, Sigrid T'Hooft, and Hilde Coppe. Thomas Langlois is a Belgian lutenist, born in Ghent who has performed with various professional ensembles and orchestras, and who has performed for the English Lute Society in London and for the Deutsche Lautengesellschaft.
