This hypnotically appealing recording of 13th century Galician-Portuguese songs and dances of love and longing for the absent beloved will enchant and soothe even the most agitated listener. The musical achievement that is CANTIGAS DE AMIGO, or "Songs for a Friend," owes far more than usual to the performers, for here, save for in six of the seven songs by Martin Codax, the performers have had to supply the music! The medieval cantigas exist as five hundred texts without music, so the performer must be trained in the history and style of performing for this time (the 1200s) and place (the Iberian Peninsula). One need only listen to the one Codax song that has come down to us without its music to assess the marvelous accomplishment of the combined forces of Ensemble Alcatraz, Kitka, and Angelorum. As an experiment, listen to all seven Codax songs (before reading the liner notes) and try to guess which song's music was newly composed for this recording-that's how good these performers are.
