‘Ensalada' was a Spanish term for a genre of extended musical work, vocal or instrumental or both, consisting of a series of contrasting episodes and covering a wide range of themes and topics. ‘Quodlibet’ or ‘collage’ would be near equivalents of the idea. Spanish renaissance music is a rich source of such colourful pieces, and the present recording offers two each from the 16th-century composers Mateo Flecha el Viejo (the Elder) and Bartolomé Cárceres.The best-known of these, and already recorded several times on CD, is Flecha's 'La Justa' (the joust or tournament), a brilliantly vivid 'battle' piece with many unmistakable references to Janequin's famous and oft-parodied chanson 'La Guerre'. These reminders are in the form of frequently used motifs from Janequin's masterpiece, as well as in the variety and changing mood and pace of the work. The sung text, ostensibly depicting a jousting contest, clearly uses the occasion as an allegory of battle between Christ and the Devil or, more generally, between good and evil. All this is performed by four voices – soprano Pilar Esteban, countertenor José Hernandéz Pastor, tenor Lambert Climent and bass Jordi Ricart – and a small but splendid band of period wind, string, keyboard and percussion instruments.All four singers are excellent, the soprano having a rather penetrating edge which works very well for this music, and all of them performing in exemplary period idiom. The Capella de Ministrers are a period-instrument ensemble based in Valencia, directed here with great verve and style by viola player Carles Magraner. They include the distinguished names of William Dongois on cornetto and Katharina Baüml on shawm. Twelve instruments and four voices may not seem like very much, but players and singers alike perform with tremendous panache and can make a hell of a lot of noise for their modest numbers! The instrumental sound is rich and exciting, and percussion makes a vivid contribution. The result is that ‘La Justa’ is a brilliant success, the best rendition I’ve ever heard of Flecha’s striking piece. Especially notable are the varying moods within Flecha’s warlike subject – extending far beyond the excitement, bravado and triumphalism of the traditional battle piece but in addition, by the repeated use of Janequin’s emotive cadences, reminding the listener of the more ominous character of warfare, its tragedy and misery.Of the three remaining ‘ensaladas’, the second in the programme is Flecha’s ‘La Viuda’ (the widow), in a similar format but in different mood with a text covering such varied fare as marriage, loss, employment, religion, mischief and agriculture. This is followed by the two Cárceres pieces, ‘La Trulla’ (hubbub) and ‘La Negrina’ (black girl), in similar vein and episodic in format with frequent changes of subject, pace and mood. The first of these, at 30 minutes, is the most extended work in the programme. I found these two Cárceres pieces less compelling than those of Flecha, with the noise, shouting and constant gearchanges getting a little tiresome after a while. On the other hand it is punctuated by numerous beautiful and exciting instrumental passages; these were the bits I enjoyed most, in fact, and they are played with wonderful improvisatory panache by the ensemble. There are also repeated and enjoyably varied Spanish rhythms and frequent references to other well-known Spanish melodies of the period, such as 'Guárdame las vacas’ and ‘La Dama le demanda’.The CD is accompanied by a DVD. This brings us the same pieces, this time performed live in concert in a Valencia church. It is beautifully filmed, with many close-ups allowing us to enjoy the animation and commitment of singers and players alike, and the atmosphere and ambience of the concert is nicely captured. Subtitles are available in English and other languages, including the Spanish original of course, and this adds further to our appreciation. The DVD ends with a Pavana and Gallarda extracted from ‘La Trulla’, performed by instruments and some of the singers and with video clips of a dancer to accompany the music. Altogether, this DVD is a joy to watch and to hear, and an outstanding addition to the CD programme.The two discs come in a splendidly produced hardback book enhanced by magnificent illustrations - such as the battle fresco by Antonio Salviati which you can see on the cover - together with copious notes and documentation in Spanish and English. All texts are provided, together with excellent translations. There have been quite a few discs appearing over the last few years in this hardback, historical-context format; but this present one, produced with bold imagination and exceptional care, is certainly one of the very best I’ve heard. Above all, Mateo Flecha’s ‘La Justa’, in both aural and visual formats, should prove a memorable and richly rewarding experience for any fan of early music.