This is a famous collection that set standards in 1976 and
did its bit to bring Netherlands’ music of the second half of
the fifteenth and the first quarter of the sixteenth century
to more general audition. David Munrow’s adventurous spirit,
his discerning judgement, and his charismatic self did much
to enrich the living current of such music in Britain and beyond.
So too did his collaborators amongst whose ranks were some of
the most outstanding talents of the day – a roll-call to be
savoured like a favourite sporting side, or a series of vintage
wines; James Bowman, Charles Brett, Martyn Hill, Paul Elliott,
Rogers Covey-Crump, Maurice Bevan (a Deller alumnus), and Terry
Edwards of the sepulchral bass notes. These are just some of
the singers. The instrumentalists include Michael Laird, whose
cornett playing (double ‘t’ in authentic style) is so apposite,
Nigel North, lutenist supreme but then also playing the tenor
rebec and bass viol, Robert Spencer, an earlier maestro of the
instrument, and a certain C Hogwood, playing organ, regal -
and harp!
The music has been reissued on CD before and this selection
concentrates on vocal music; the instrumental items are versions
of the secular songs on the first disc in a manner popular at
the time. Thus we hear an anonymous early sixteenth century
version for two lutes of Josquin’s Scaramella va alla Guerra
which may have been composed a century earlier.
Indeed Josquin is the star around which other composers tend
to satellite in this selection. The rhythmic vitality and the
instrumental colour evoked by tambourine, and harp in Scaramella
is still as evocative as ever. Equally one can admire the
beautifully reserved and ardent eloquence of the performance
of van Ghizeghem’s De tous biens plaine, supported by
one tenor and two bass rebecs. The three part instrumental version
of this – the first of the two - possibly by Alexander Agricola,
van Ghizeghem’s exact contemporary, is tangy and delightful.
The second version features Munrow’s treble recorder. The longest
setting in the first disc is Brumel’s Du tout plongiet which
is beautifully modulated and genuinely expressive in its contours
and the interplay of tenor, baritone and two bass viols. That
such compression of forces should produce such extraordinary
music is one of the wonders of a set such as this. But this
first disc certainly entertains the more bucolic aspects of
the muse; listen to Terry Edwards’s sepulchral bass in Mijn
morken gaf mij een jonck wijff, a quodlibet of striking
personality, interpreted with equally striking vigour.
The second disc focuses on movements by various composers cleverly
shaped into a ‘mass’. Tinctoris, Brumel, Josquin, Pierre de
la Rue and Isaac are the quintet from whose mass movements a
new one is artfully constructed. Throughout, the measured nobility
and grace is palpable, the depth of the singing still hugely
evocative. The Marian motets – they’re mostly Marian – offer
equal pleasures. There’s a remarkable setting of Benedicta
es caelorum regina in which Josquin’s ascending and descending
lines almost anticipate Victoria’s Italo-Iberian expressivity.
And one should on no account overlook the exquisitely beautiful
setting Ockeghem setting of Intemerata Dei mater.
The purely instrumental performances – crumhorns and all – are
not here, but they are available on previous re-releases. I
think that’s about 20-25 minutes’ worth. If you prefer to concentrate
on the Art as enshrined in this essentially vocal set then you
will find a wealth of detail and committed performances. They
have lasted for 35 years; and will probably last a good lot
longer yet. Brief notes; no texts.
Jonathan Woolf
Track listing
CD 1
Secular Songs
Josquin DESPREZ (c.1450/55-1521)
Scaramella va alla guerra (villotta) [2:07]
Allegez moy, doulce plaisant brunette - I - Original six-part
chanson [2:06]
Allegez moy, doulce plaisant brunette II - Lute duet version
(Anon early 16th Century) [2:10]
El grillo e buon cantore (frottola) [1:42]
Heinrich ISAAC (c.1450-1517)
Donna di dentro della tua casa (quodlibet) [1:35]
Hayne van GHIZEGHEM (c.1445-1476/97)
De tous beins plaine (rondeau) - I - Original three-part chanson
[6:45]
De tous biens plaine (rondeau) - II - Four part instrumental
version (Josquin) with canon a 2 [1:39]
De tous biens plaine (rondeau) - III - Three-part instrumental
version I (Alexander Agricola? 1446 - 1506) [1:15]
De tous biens plaine (rondeau) - IV - Three-part instrumental
version II (Agricola) [1:22]
Antoine BRUMEL (c.1460-?1512/13)
De tous biens plaine (rondeau) - Du tout plongiet - Fors seulemnet
I'attente (after Johannes Ockeghem) (rondeau) [10:28]
ANON (c.1500)
Mijn morken gaf mij een jonck wijff (quodlibet) [1:38]
Johannes GHISELIN (VERBONNET)
(fl.1491-1507)
Ghy syt die werste boven al [2:05]
Jacques BARBIREAU (1455-1491)
or Isaac or Jacob
OBRECHT (1457/8-1505)
Ein Frohlich wesen - Original three-part chanson [2:33]
Ein Frohlich wesen - Keyboard solo version (ascr. Paul Hofhaimer
1459 - 1537) [1:36]
Ein Frohlich wesen - III - Four-part chanson (Obrecht) [3:38]
Johannes OCKEGHEM (c.1410-1497)
Prenez sur moi vostre exemple amoureux (canon a 3) [1:54]
Ma bouche rit (virelai) [5:47]
ANON (Formerly attributed Josquin)
Guillaume se va chaufer [1:03]
Josquin DESPREZ
Adieu mes amours - I - Original four-part chanson from Petrucci's
"Harmonice musices odhecaton A" (Venice, 1501) [2:04]
Adieu mes amours - II - Keyboard solo version (Anon 16th Century)
[2:16]
Antoine BUSNOIS (c.1430-1492)
Fortuna desperata - I - Original three-part chanson [1:38]
Fortuna desperata - II - Six-part version (Agricola) [1:49]
Fortuna desperata - III - Three-part instrumental version [1:13]
CD 2
Mass Movements
Johannes TINCTORIS (c.1435-1511)
Missa sine nomine – Kyrie [4:31]
Antoine BRUMEL
Missa 'Et ecce terrae motus' – Gloria [7:59]
Josquin DESPREZ
Missa 'Et ecce terrae motus' - Credo super 'De tous biens' [6:33]
Pierre de la RUE (c.1452-1518)
Missa 'Ave sanctissima Maria' – Sanctus [4:13]
Heinrich ISAAC
Missa 'La bassadanza' - Agnus Dei [4:32]
Motets
Jacob OBRECHT
Haec Deum caeli [1:29]
Loyset COMPÈRE (c.1445-15180
or Juan de ANCHIETA (1462-1523)
or Francisco de PEÑALOSA
(c.1470-1528)
O bone Jesu [3:11]
Josquin DESPREZ
De profundis a 5 [5:00]
Benedicta es caelorum regina [5:35]
Jean MOUTON (c.1459-1522)
Nesciens mater virgo virum [4:15]
ANON (Formerly attributed Josquin)
Inviolata integra et casta es Maria [3:23]
Johannes OCKEGHEM
Intemerata Dei mater [7:49]
Jacob OBRECHT
Laudemus nunc Dominum [7:59]
Pierre de la RUE or
Philippe VERDELOT (c1480/85-1530/32)
Missa 'La bassadanza' - Ave sanctissima Maria [3:57]
The Early Music Consort of London/David Munrow 
