Agricola's output continues to be stimulating, and now is among the best-served among c.1500 secular composers by this second solid program. There is some overlap here, but some new items also. It is perhaps ironic that he is now clearly better-served on disc than Josquin, when it comes to chanson writers of his generation.
Although the present performance does not have quite the elegance of the Ferrara Ensemble, it does have some much-needed vigor by way of compensation. Basically, the two approaches are very similar, and it consequently becomes easy to view them similarly. Scorings in each case are almost identical.
This is a good repertory fit for Ensemble Unicorn, and a worthwhile addition. Agricola benefits from their more aggressive style, although they are strangely a bit more subdued here than in some other programs. It also seems as though some French is in a German accent, but it is an appealing vocal tone nonetheless.
Todd M. McComb