De Monte: Sacred & Secular Works. Missa “La dolce vista”, Motets & Madrigals

2021 marks the 500th birthday of Philippe de Monte! As with many Flemish composers from the Renaissance, he exported his expertise in the most distinguished courts of Europe, from Naples to Vienna, to London, and excelled in all genres, from the parody mass to the Italian madrigal and the French chanson. This album by the Hilliard Ensemble is, to no one’s surprise, the best illustration of his art (and one of the very rare albums entirely dedicated to de Monte). Most of the works featured here include a beautiful instrumental accompaniment by Kees Boeke and his musicians.