Canticas y Madrigales

The re-issue of this recording is made possible, in part, by a generous grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music Recording Programs.

AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
“The tiny (only eight singers) Americas Vocal Ensemble – formerly known as the Manhattan Vocal Ensemble – is a most excellent professional group devoted to the music of the Americas, from the colonial era to the present … Their smooth and refined singing leaves nothing to be desired. … We have yet explored only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Hispanic choral music from the new world, but Escobar’s music is a truly happy discovery. The remastered sound is excellent, and we get full texts and translations.”

GRAMOPHONE
“This recording…is a fine testament to the Argentine-born, New York-based composer Nelly Vuksic and her longtime championing of Latin american Composers in the U.S. Here, Vuksic finds a similar well-traveled spirit in Luis Antonio Escobar…From his country’s folkloric roots his music springs – particularly in works with text, which his music fits with subtlety and poetic delicacy…As with early European a cappella vocal forms, to which these pieces clearly allude, an artless simplicity is the key…Vuksic’s singers clearly have a taste of the soil in their mouths…clearly connected with the material.”

CLASSICAL MUSIC WEB
“…the overall Œsignature¹ of the music is that of a sensitive composer. In this the composer is matched by the performers in this attractive and often lovely music…an attractive set of voices and they are ideal for this music.”

NEW MUSIC CONNOISSEUR
“With such finely honed singing under the sure hand of Nelly Vuksic…we get nothing but 49 minutes of total enchantment.”

Program: