A title like Instrumental Music of the 16th and seventeenth century may seem to encompass subject matter far too broad to be done justice on a single album. However, the German-based early music ensemble
Capella de la Torre does not attempt to provide an all-inclusive representation of the genre. Rather, the selected works, along with their concise, informative liner notes, give listeners a glimpse of the evolution of instrumental music. Instrumentalists began as nothing more than mere accompanists for vocal ensembles; the earliest works on this album have a very clear vocal quality to them. But as instrument makers became more accessible and even middle-class citizens began to show an interest in making music in their own homes, purely instrumental music began to eclipse vocal music, although it was a very slow and gradual process. The aim of
Capella de la Torre is not to focus on the larger-scale, "popular" works of this time period, but rather to demonstrate how different subgenres of music in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries gave rise to more commonly recognizable forms in the Baroque. The variety of instruments and configurations with which the ensemble performs is impressive. No matter how they are arranged, the outcome is the same: stunning clarity and balance, unity of ensemble, and a warm, pleasing tone. The multichannel SACD track allows listeners to immerse themselves in the sound and feel as if they were sitting in St. Osdag church along with the musicians.