Zak Ozmo: L'Avventura London - 18th-century Portuguese Love Songs

L�Avventura London and their director Zak Ozmo make their debut on Hyperion with a lusciously saucy album of Portuguese love songs from the eighteenth century. Described by a contemporary visitor as �voluptuous and bewitching�, these modinhas have an uncertain genesis, but it is likely they reached Portugal from its overseas dominion of Brazil. Two�highly contrasting styles predominate: one melancholic and lyrical, and the other bright and rhythmic, often with syncopated rhythms in the voice. Also interspersed are instrumental works from the period.The spirited players of L�Avventura London are joined by two Portuguese sopranos, Sandra Medeiros and Joana Seara, who are also early music specialists in their own right.