Leonardo Da Vinci - La Musique Secrete

Doulce Mémoire, Denis Raisin Dadre

2019 will see the 500th commemoration of the death of one of the greatest geniuses humanity has produced: Leonardo da Vinci, scientist, inventor, painter – and musician.

Doulce Mémoire, having devoted themselves to Renaissance music for the past 30 years, have decided to pay homage to Leonardo. Their founder-director, Denis Raisin Dadre, an eminent specialist in the music of the period and a great lover of pictorial art, has devised an original programme: ‘Rather than just make music from the time of Leonardo, I’ve taken my cue from the paintings themselves. I’ve worked on what could be the hidden music of these pictures, what musical pieces might be suggested by them….’ He chose around fifteen paintings, many of which are now in the Louvre: The Baptism of Christ, The Virgin of the Rocks, Portrait of Isabella d’Este, Portrait of an Unknown Woman (La belle ferronnière), Saint Anne, St John the Baptist… and of course La Gioconda. He then matched them with works by Jacob Obrecht (1457-1505), Josquin Desprez (1450-1521), laude for the Annunciation. There are also some frotolle, and songs to texts by Petrarch accompanied by the lira da braccio, an instrument Leonardo played himself. This recording comes with a handsome booklet, including reproductions of the pictures by Leonardo, some in detail, giving an intimate insight into them; there is also a text by Denis Raisin Dadre explaining his selection.

anon.:
 Basse danse Venus
 Poi che t'hebbi nel core (Contrafactum de Fortuna desperata)
 Fortuna desperata
 Lucrecia pulchra (Mona Lisa pulchra)
 Rime, sonetto XVIII

Bartolomeo Trombocino:
 Non val' acqua

Cara:
 Ave Maria à 4
 Ave Maria à 5
 Gli pur gionto el giorno
 Tante volte, si, si, si
 Vergine immaculata

Caron, F:
 Tanto l'afano (Le despourvu infortuné)

Despres:
 Planxit autem David

Fage, J:
 Elizabeth Zachariæ

Frater Petrus:
 Ave Maria

Ghizeghem:
 De tous biens playne

Isaac:
 Fortuna desperata / Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis

Lhéritier:
 Ave Mater Matris Dei

Obrecht:
 Agnus Dei (Missa Fortuna desperata)

Patavino:
 Donne, venète al ballo

Michael Pesenti:
 L'acqua vale al mio gran foco

Piacenza, D:
 Bel fiore

Pinarol:
 Poi che t'hebbi nel core

Spinacino:
 Recercare

"As the programme unfolds from deft basse danses to Marchetto Cara’s sprightly Tante volte si si si we hear an impressive and persuasive attempt to uncover Leonardo’s subliminal music."
Gramophone Magazine - July 2019