Annibale Padovano (1527-1575): Missa A la dolc' ombra
Cipriano De Rore (1515/16-1565): A la dolc' ombra
Annibale Padovano: Domine a lingua dolosa
Annibale Padovano: Missa Domine a lingua dolosa

Based on the euphonious and highly mellifluent music of these a cappella masses by the late Renaissance Italian organist and composer Annibale Padovano (1527-1575), there most certainly is a gold mine of undiscovered musical gems from that period yet to be unearth. Aside from a handful of available recordings on which Padovano shares the billing with other Renaissance composers, this is a rare instance where, other than one madrigal by Cipriano De Rore, the whole disc is devoted to the vocal music of Padovano. The booklet notes point out that: "The music theorist Vincenzo Galilei - the father of Galileo - described Annibale Padovano as one of those rare keyboard artists who really knew how to play well and compose well."

In his day, much like his Dutch counterpart Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, he was mostly sought-after for his instrumental music which included highly ornamented pieces based on plainchant, and some of the first examples of Toccatas. His vocal music, like these five-part masses, showcase the work of a composer adept with polyphonic harmony. It may not be as harmonically adventurous as Gesualdo or Gombert, or as grandiloquent as Tallis or Taverner, but its pure intervals and simple lines are where it shines.

The Renaissance vocal ensemble Cinquecento, which also happens to be the name for the artistic and cultural period between 1500 and 1599, and whose five members are from Austria, Belgium, England, Germany and Switzerland, specialize in the performance and dissemination of 16th century vocal music. Their substantial discography, all on the Hyperion label, speaks volumes to their knowledge and integration of musical material from the Renaissance era, as they delve into some of that period's lesser-known composers. Their blend of countertenor, two tenors, baritone and bass voices, encompasses the full range of pitch necessary to convey the harmonic scope of the music at hand. Their erudite command of music from the Renaissance, combined with dynamic balance and tone control, elevates the music of any composer they wish to explore.