The twenty-fourth book: #24 Moll Flanders - Daniel DeFoe
This has been an incredibly interesting story. Based on the stories of a known criminal of the day, Daniel DeFoe met with her several times while she was in prison. I'm sure that the criminal happenings were at least partially taken from real life, with a bunch of personal details (including the redepmption and happy ending) might also have been produced to create a happy ending. And it's true, those tales of criminal proceedings are probably the most interesting parts, the turns and twists to escape and stay safe.
Still, it's quite a life story, with some odd twists and turns - she ends up marrying her own brother at some point - that always keep me entertained. At the same time, it also gives an interesting view into life at the time, for multiple social classes.
The tenth classical recording: #7 Jean de Ockeghem - Alma Redemptoris Mater
Two shorter motets today, the first is this angelic choral song. It sounds good, although hard to place without context, and there's not much context coming forth for this work. The multiple voices work well in creating a uniform sound and it's a good composition, even if fairly uniform even for its shorter length.
The eleventh classical recording: #8 John Browne - Stabat Mater
On the recording: I do feel the Tallis scholars tend to elevate any song they perform, sounding clear and good without losing the work. It might elevate the performance here of a song that feels more complex already, compared to the previous work, playing more with the different voices. It's honestly a pleasure to listen to, and feel like a good step forward with the choral works.