About Us
Comprising six professional singers from five European countries, Cinquecento takes its name from the Italian term for the sixteenth century. The pan-European structure of the ensemble (its members are from Austria, Belgium, England, Germany and Switzerland ) harks back to the imperial chapel choirs of the 16th century, whose members would have been chosen for their musicianship from Europe 's most prized musical establishments.
Formed in Vienna in October 2004 the ensemble aims to bring the lesser known 16th century choral repertoire from the courts of imperial Austria to a wider public, as well as performing a varied range of Renaissance polyphony with a view to illuminating to audiences the kaleidoscopic diversity of compositional styles operating within Europe over the period. With “Beauty and Dissonance”, a programme contrasting English and Flemish works, the group launched its first concert series in May 2005 to great acclaim. Further performances in Vienna and a festival engagement for the Paul Hofhaymer Gesellschaft, Salzburg were followed in August 2005 by a promotional CD recording. Recent tours in Austria and Poland have included performances in Salzburg cathedral, Klangräume (Waidhofen/Ybbs), Orgelfest Stift Zwettl, Styriarte (Graz) and Festiwal Muzyki Sakralnej (Gdynia). Since September 2005 Cinquecento has been ‘Ensemble in Residence' at the church of St Rochus and Sebastian, Vienna performing a polyphonic mass setting each week.
Since 2006 Cinquecento has been making records with the British label Hyperion. January 2007 saw the release of their debut Music for the Court of Maximilian II to great critical acclaim, hailed as "revelatory" and "outstanding". Their second CD Jacob Regnart: Missa Super Oeniades Nymphae, released in August 2007, continues the exploration of Austrian Habsburg composers. Receiving four star reviews in The Times and Guardian, this second release looks set to win the group yet more friends and attention! May 2008 will see the release of their third Hyperion CD, with works by Philippus De Monte.
Press reviews for Music for the Court of Maximilian II (Hyperion CDA67579):
“The voices are young, lithe, pure in intonation and warm in timbre...ideal for interpreting Renaissance polyphony. Their phrasing is supple, mellifluous and understated, while always alert to the musical rhetoric. The vocal balance seems ideal… No lover of Renaissance polyphony should overlook this outstanding debut recording.”
(International Record Review)
“(a) revelatory disc, beguilingly sung…” *****
(Classic FM Magazine)
“From this showing, Cinquecento would be well placed to advocate Vaet further. An all-male a cappella ensemble, they sound clear and bright, and articulate the music lucidly.”
(Gramophone)
“Jacobus Vaet,…had he not died…aged only 37, would surely be seen as one of the 16th century's greatest polyphonists. In particular, the fine motets recorded here suggest that his skill in achieving the closest possible union between text and music was comparable with that of Lassus.
Cinquecento's six male voices produce a rich and expressive sound… a very promising debut disc.”
(The Daily Telegraph, U.K.)