Zephyrus Flutes led by Nancy Hadden
58:56
crd 3548
The 50th anniversary of the crd label provides the perfect reason for the rerelease of this 2013 recording by flautist Nancy Hadden and her consort, Zephyrus Flutes. The most groundbreaking aspect of this performance is the fact that it presents a lovely selection of Renaissance French chansons played on a consort of Renaissance flutes or alternatively played on solo flute with lute accompaniment, or consort with lute interspersed with music for solo lute. Where we might be more accustomed to hearing this repertoire played on a consort of recorders, the sound of three Renaissance tenor flutes and a bass flute is strikingly different in texture and timbre, which when I originally reviewed this CD I found instantly attractive. The solo flute playing is beautifully nuanced, while the consort with and without lute achieves a lovely blend. The group’s lutanist, none other than Jacob Heringman, adds his own customary musicality and technical virtuosity to this selection. The repertoire is drawn from Pierre Attaignant’s Chansons Musicales of 1533 in editions for flute consort by Nancy Hadden, while the lute solos are from roughly contemporary collections by Francesco da Milano, Pierre Phalèse, Hans Newsiedler and Vincenzo Galilei. Neither flautists nor lutanist are happy with obvious repertoire, and they all range far and wide through their chosen sources in search of the less familiar. I remember being struck ten years ago by how accessible this repertoire is and the sound of flutes and lute combined has stuck very firmly in my memory. I am not aware of this CD having a lasting legacy in the form of the formation of rival flute consorts, but it is lovely and thought-provoking to have it re-released in 2024.
D. James Ross