It is the age of astounding headgear, to be sure. But it is worthwhile barging past all the implications of Ren-Faire when listening to Renaissance music. It is not part of the general culture of live classical music, and not immediately graspable, as a lot of the more standard classical fare may be. Largely because it is before the time when functional harmony gave us the engine of tension/release that keeps more modern music as catchy as Doritos®. It has to our ears a meandery quality that was likely not felt by its original audience. Just as sometimes Wagner or Bruckner sound to us, at first listen, like the score to 40s melodrama, this music has been the go-to boilerplate for everything from Robin Hood á la Erroll Flynn, to Xena Warrior Princess. But float right past that, and let the mind wander and hear...
