30 Apr Review: Isabella’s Renaissance in Cleveland
In the same way that 21st-century music lovers might display their CD collection, more than 500 years ago, Isabella d’Este inlaid her favorite music in her wall.
That piece — Johannes Ockeghem’s Prenez sur moi — kicked off Les Délices’s recent program “Isabella’s Renaissance,” which celebrated the achievements of the renowned 15th-century art patron. Whether by patronage, performance, or study, the music on this hour-long concert was connected in some way to the Marchioness of Mantua.
Smooth and simple stage changes led the audience at Lakewood Presbyterian Church on April 22 to instinctively hold their applause until the end of each section. The final section featured the most animated pieces of the night. In the anonymous A la cazza, Mullins Bailey, Roux, and Nagy raised their trio of voices in celebration — not just of Isabella d’Este, but also of all that Les Délices accomplished throughout their 14th season.