La fonte musica – Zacara da Teramo: Enigma Fortuna (Complete Works) (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

In this recording entitled Enigma Fortuna, the ensemble La Fonte Musica, directed by Michele Pasotti, aims to shed light on the mysterious and eccentric personality of Antonio Zacara da Teramo (1355-1416). A contemporary of Boccaccio, Donatello and Brunelleschi, this composer from the Abruzzi region could almost be likened to a sort of musical Hieronymus Bosch, for the texts he set to music conjure up a ‘topsy-turvy universe’ where the obscene, the imaginary and the grotesque go hand in hand. In his ballata Amor ne tossa he writes ‘Let him understand me who can, for I understand myself’, foreshadowing the proud egotism of the Romantic artists who were to come 400 years after him. With this four-CD set presenting the world premiere of Zacara’s complete works, La Fonte Musica offers us an initial approach to understanding his music. And thereby, through the timeless character of art, to understanding a so-called ‘renascent’ era that seems as ‘topsy-turvy’ as our own.

For more than thirty years, each new release by Jordi Savall (on the Astr’ee or Alia Vox labels) with his Catalan ensembles, always promise an enchanting sound, particularly through the care taken with the balance and the sound recording. The beauty of the repertoire and the high inspiration of the musical interpretations always quickly plunge the listener into a dream, filled with wonder. Projects by ensembles such as Dialogos (by Katarina Livljani’c) and La fonte musica (by lutenist Michele Pasotti) continue this quiet quest for fullness of sound. After their extraordinary “Metamorfosi Trecento”, released in January 2017, and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful albums dedicated to the late Middle Ages in recent years, we were particularly eager to succumb once again to the spells of the fonte musica! And now this is possible.

Michele Pasotti and his colleagues, under the title “Enigma Fortuna”, intend to shed light on the mysterious and eccentric personality of the Abruzzi composer Antonio Zacara da Teramo (1355-1416). A contemporary of Boccaccio, Donatello and Brunelleschi, this composer could almost be likened to a sort of musical Hieronymus Bosch, so much so that the texts he sets to music conjure up an “upside-down universe” where the obscene, the imaginary and the grotesque go hand in hand. “Me comprenne qui pourra, car je me comprends” (Let him understand me who can, for I understand myself) he writes in his ballata Amor ne tossa, where he describes the pride of the romantic artists four hundred years ahead of time.

From July 2017 to October 2018, Michele Pasotti and the fonte musica therefore decided to record the entire (known) works of Zacara da Teramo, and what a discovery! The listener will quickly be surprised by the diversity of this repertoire, of unprecedented inventiveness. The first part (Vol. 1) is composed of sacred works, sometimes particularly austere, however the rest (Vol. 2 to 4) presents compositions with intoxicating poetry, such as D’amor languire, Un fior gentil, Cacciando per gustar / Ay cinci, ay toppi and of course the already mentioned Amor n’e tossa where one could think one was already hearing Janequin.

To be repeated several times, the course of these four hours of music encourages us to immerse ourselves in a fantastic world, where surprises are in no short supply. You must discover it in its entirety. The musicians of the fonte musica weave their web, quietly, and with an almost cruel patience: they know very well that Zacara da Teramo will be able to catch you in its nets and embrace you. Alpha Classics/Pierre-Yves Lascar/Qobuz

Tracklist:
01. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria (I) (06:17)
02. Francesca Cassinari – Credo (II) (08:13)
03. Massimo Altieri – Ave Maris Stella (Instrumental) (02:10)
04. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria “Anglicana” (04:46)
05. Francesca Cassinari – Credo “du Vilage” (03:19)
06. La fonte musica – Constantia (Instrumental) (03:21)
07. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria “Gloria laus honor” (04:44)
08. Francesca Cassinari – Credo (III) (06:47)
09. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria “Ad ongni vento” (04:13)
10. Francesca Cassinari – Credo (I) (05:42)
11. La fonte musica – Untitled (Instrumental) (01:22)
12. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria “Micinella” (02:33)
13. Alena Dantcheva – Credo “Cursor” (04:46)
14. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria “Rosetta” (06:45)
15. Francesca Cassinari – Credo “Scabioso” (08:58)
16. Gianluca Ferrarini – D”amor languire (06:13)
17. La fonte musica – Rosetta (Instrumental) (03:37)
18. Alena Dantcheva – Rosetta (II) (07:16)
19. Gianluca Ferrarini – Deducto sey (I) (06:46)
20. Francesca Cassinari – Nostra Avocata (05:18)
21. La fonte musica – Deducto sey (II) (instrumental) (03:18)
22. Francesca Cassinari – Un fior gentil (05:11)
23. Francesca Cassinari – Gloria “Fior gentil” (05:09)
24. Gianluca Ferrarini – Deus deorum Pluto (04:14)
25. Francesca Cassinari – Credo “Deus deorum” (08:45)
26. Francesca Cassinari – Cacciando per gustar / Ay cinci, ay toppi (04:22)
27. Gianluca Ferrarini – Nel cucul (02:07)
28. Alena Dantcheva – Amor né tossa (09:23)
29. La fonte musica – Deducto sey (III) (Instrumental improvisation) (01:48)
30. Alena Dantcheva – Plorans ploravi (08:39)
31. Massimo Altieri – Le temps verrà (03:38)
32. Francesca Cassinari – Nuda non era (03:13)
33. Francesca Cassinari – Ad ogne vento (02:55)
34. La fonte musica – Rosetta (III) (Instrumental) (02:39)
35. Francesca Cassinari – State a Dio (03:15)
36. Francesca Cassinari – Benché lontan (05:29)
37. La fonte musica – Non voler, donna (02:26)
38. Francesca Cassinari – Ciaramella (04:54)
39. Francesca Cassinari – Sumite karissimi (03:17)
40. Alena Dantcheva – Movit’a pietade (03:42)
41. La fonte musica – Viver ne puis (Instrumental) (02:01)
42. Francesca Cassinari – Sol mi trafigge (05:50)
43. Gianluca Ferrarini – Aymè per tutto l’or (04:32)
44. Alena Dantcheva – Spesso, Fortuna (02:41)
45. Francesca Cassinari – Dime, Fortuna (03:22)
46. Gianluca Ferrarini – Donna poss’io sperare (04:35)
47. Massimo Altieri – Dicovi per certança (02:00)
48. La fonte musica – Sol mi trafigge (Instrumental) (01:16)
49. Alena Dantcheva – Ferito già (03:23)
50. Francesca Cassinari – Be’llo sa Dio (05:01)
51. Alena Dantcheva – E’ ardo in un fuogo (02:26)
52. Francesca Cassinari – Spinato intorno al cor (05:58)
53. Francesca Cassinari – Je suy navrés / Gnaff’a le guagnele (02:48)