Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, Archiv 479 2610 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

Subtitled ‘The Sacred Polyphony of El Greco’s Toledo’ this 70m selection of a mass by Alonso Lobo and motets, etc, by various composers, celebrates devotional music associated with Toledo Cathedral, and links to the painter who came to the city in 1557. Ensemble Plus Ultra comprises a small consort of singers, formed in 2001, who specialise in early Spanish music: their 10CD Archiv set of sacred works by Victoria was a runaway success. The unaccompanied voices, close-set in a reverberant acoustic have a strong presence. The music, of course, is by no means ‘easy listening’ (surprisingly, it was a Classic FM mid-May album choice), although the ‘et incarnatus est’ section in the Lobo Credo is strikingly lovely. The PDF gives no details of recording venue, etc, but full texts are included and the introductory essay is exemplary. CB

Sound Quality: 85%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

This clean recording, offered here as a genuine 96kHz/24-bit download clearly illustrates the full bandwidth of the human voice, the harmonics of the two sopranos stretching out beyond 20kHz (the limit of a release on CD). PM