español | français Vicente Martín y Soler Paul McCreesh Paolo da Col 10 CDs for a desert island: Claudio Cavina Jongleurs: music and a way of life in the middle ages Arcadia Questioned: Martín y Soler’s Dramme Giocoso and Scenic Cantatas   54 - 53 - 52 - 51 - 50 - 49 - 48 - 47 - 46 - 45 - 44 - 43 - 42 - 41 - 40 - 39 - 38 - 37 - 36 - 35 - 34 - 33 - 32 - 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 09 - 08 - 07 - 06 - 05 - 04 - 03 - 02 - 01 - PAOLO DA COL By Eduardo Notrica. Pictures by Susana Vera. Translated by Jacqueline Minett. Today the performance of vocal polyphony in Italy takes many different forms. Although the peninsula is heir to a rich Renaissance tradition, largely linked to the history of the powerful Cappella Pontificia, which for centuries was dominated by the figure of Palestrina, that magnificent legacy is at present woefully neglected. Very few Italian groups take a professional interest in polyphony, and fewer still have achieved recognition at a European level. Similarly, those official Italian institutions that should promote and guarantee quality can be credited with little more than good intentions. Initiatives such as the ambitious “Palestrina Project”, which involves editing and recording the complete works of the composer, fail to make their mark because the performances are entrusted to those lacking the necessary training and information. Having said that, for the last six years an independent vocal ensemble from the north of Italy has offered a quality alternative to this tedious state of affairs. It is called Odhecaton, named after the title of the first book of music published in 1501 by the Venetian Ottaviano Petrucci. The ensemble made an impressive début in the recording world in 1999, thanks to their version of Nicolas Gombert’s Missa a la Coronation. The following year, they released a recording of Heinrich Isaac’s Missa La Spagna and, in 2002, a CD featuring the Passion and Crucifixion motets by Josquin Desprez. Each of these albums was acclaimed by periodicals and specialist music magazines in various European countries. The sensitive and intelligent approach adopted by Paolo da Col, the founder and musical director of Odhecaton, has given the interpretation of polyphony in Italy a turnaround. Thanks to the group’s talent and meticulous working methods, Odhecaton has become the standard bearer for the tradition of polyphony at its finest. Biography Discography Goldberg Articles Order your copy of issue nº 29 now! ABOUT US | CONTRIBUTE   web map - home page - cover Legal warning Copyright 2003, Goldberg. info@goldberg-magazine.com