After the elegance, often extreme, of Ars Nova and Ars Subtilior, the music of XV-th century finds its inspiration in simplicity and rediscovers treasures of popular musical practices.

        This is the epoch of the three voices polyphony. Its originality consists in perfect elaboration of every voice, so each of them becomes leading in different versions of each song. These variations are doubled by instrumental glosses. So, music is constantly developing new colors and perspectives. This new musical theory was summed up, in the next century, in the Diego Ortiz's Trattato de Glosas (Rome, 1553).
        This practice, which needs an absolute mastership, is now almost entirely forgotten, we offer to rediscover it in the program of Iohannes CORNAGO's songs.

        Iohannes CORNAGO is one of the first known composers from Spanish Renaissance. In 1449 he obtained a bachelor's degree in theology from the University of Paris. By 6 April 1453 he was already serving King Alfonso I of Naples. He is last recorded among the singers at the court of Ferdinand the Catholic in 1475.


        Cornago's surviving compositions comprise a Mass, a motet and 11 Spanish and Italian songs. His Missa Ayo visto lo mappamundi is one of the earliest surviving masses on a secular cantus firmus. His songs draw inspiration from Spanish and Italian courtly poetry. In his music, Italian charm and Spanish vigorous melodic outline are enriched with the delicacy of the Dutch polyphony.

        Cornago created a unique style in the musical landscape of epoch.

        The eleven songs are performed accordingly to the practice of 15-th century, with glosses and instrumental diminutions. Every song has therefore two or even three interpretations with different character.