Heinz Holliger's Machaut transcriptions comprise an extensive cycle created between 2001 and 2011. In this creative reinterpretation of the work of the important 14th-century French composer and poet Guillaume de Machaut, four voices are combined with three viols. Holliger's work evolves from direct transcriptions of Machaut to increasingly idiosyncratic musical reworkings. As Holliger himself emphasizes, his intensive engagement with Machaut opened up new compositional horizons for him. His appreciation for the original material is reflected in the impressive performances of the violists and vocal ensemble. The Hilliard Ensemble, with its particular expertise in both early and contemporary music, finds a perfect means of expression in the Machaut transcriptions. The recording, made in Zurich in 2010, showcases the vocal group at its full expressive potential. (The ensemble's own connection to Machaut is also documented on their album of the composer's motets, ECM New Series 1823)
