THE FEUD THAT SPARKED THE RENAISSANCE

A monstrously detailed account of a fascinating period in art and architecture, this erudite recording manages to be listener friendly by throwing a spotlight on what is surely one of many unexplored byways in cultural history: the feud between two pivotal artists of the Renaissance, Filippo Bunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Both of these men possessed prodigious egos, talent, and cultural timing that rival those of any modern media darling. Robert Whitfield delivers the story with panache and aplomb, never wearying of the myriad details that could become tedious in less talented hands. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]