It is not news that there is a lot of music in
Shakespeare
's plays, but full-on explorations of that fact on recordings have been somewhat lacking. It is not for a shortage of material;
's texts have been set many times, from his time to ours, in at least one case apparently by
himself. The contents of this release by director and multi-instrumentalist
Brian Kay
and those of the recent
In My Heart of Hearts
album by soprano
Hannah Morrison
and countertenor
Marnix de Cat
overlap very little. Kay and his Theatro ensemble came together over several years, and at the start were geographically diffuse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this, the committed approach of the performers, who include
Kay
, is noteworthy. The album's notes talk about the importance of music in
, but
's aim is in a somewhat different direction. He seeks to make a
program that stands by itself, beyond the presence of the plays. He may make little sequences of pieces that come from different
works, and he chooses contrasting settings, not only alternating songs with instrumental dances but also accompanying the songs with different instruments.
has a talented group that can handle these demands, but the most attractive feature of the album is the direct, almost soulful singing, with no hint of a self-consciously antique accent. Give this a listen for a rich, fresh approach to
an music. ~ James Manheim