Kronborg is Denmark's most famous castle - the 'Elsinore' of Shakespeare - and within it's walls, sweet music. Kings Christian III, Frederik II and Christian IV harvested the bounty of Europe's musical wealth and crowned their lavish courts with song. In this majestic 8-CD set by Bo Holten and Musica Ficta are lute songs by Dowland, motets of Schutz, and world-premiere recordings of works by Palestrina, de Wert and Vecchi. These are no longer only echoes of a prosperous age, but now Denmark's golden musical past, regained anew.

Given that not one of the Masses by Jacques Arcadelt was included in our boxed set that revealed his immense musical personality to the world, we now remedy this situation with an indispensable addition. Leonardo Garcia Alarcon chose the Missa Noe Noe, which is presented here in the context of the Christmas liturgy. We have also included motets not only by Arcadelt but also by Josquin Desprez, as he was the great model for musicians of his generation. The recording ends resoundingly with Josquin’s imposing Benedicta es coelorum regina for six voices, although in an expanded version for twelve voices by Jean Guyot de Châtelet (1512 – 1588): another Walloon composer to be discovered!