This four-disc set celebrates Flemish vocal polyphony of the
renaissance era. Recorded at various times in the 1970s and
1980s by the Schola Cantorum Stuttgart, this is a fascinating
collection in a well presented box-set, with the liner-notes
provided on CD ROM. Practical tip: if you are listening to the
CDs through a computer, load the CD-ROM first so that you can
access the sleeve notes while listening.
Dufay’s Ecce ancilla Domini begins the collection.
The purity of the harmony, combined with the clear intonation
of this vocal ensemble, is immediately striking. The music itself
is engaging on many levels, and it has always impressed me how
early vocal polyphony can maintain a sense of freshness and
relevance 650 years after it was composed. Ockeghem’s
Missa pro defunctis has some wonderfully expressive moments
and the range in texture between the sections for different
numbers of voices is effective. This work is thought to be the
earliest surviving polyphonic Requiem mass - although it is
possible that Dufay made an earlier setting. Ockeghem was respected
as the leading composer of his time, although only a relatively
small number of works are confirmed as being his, including
just 15 mass settings.
Overall, this is a good recording with an enjoyable expressive
range, excellent intonation and a good sense of ensemble. A
few things, however, mar it for me, many of which may in fact
be directly related to the time the recording was made. One
is the blend of voices, which lacks the sense of unity that
one has become accustomed to in recordings of music from this
era. I am unconvinced by the use of vibrato, not from the point
of view of a purist as such, but more because, for me, it seems
to get in the way of the harmonic clarity. This is clearly a
matter of personal taste, and it is obvious that this is an
element of interpretation which has been carefully considered
by the performers, since on the whole, the vibrato is light
and in keeping with the dynamic range of the music. The only
other small gripe is that the sound of the recording is slightly
bass-heavy. I felt that a brighter sound and more acoustic space
between the parts might have added an extra sheen.
Disc 2, recorded in 1973 has a more spacious sound, and the
canons in the opening Kyrie of Ockeghem’s Missa prolationum
are well balanced and clear. This mass is undoubtedly a polyphonic
masterpiece which is full of magical moments and demonstrates
the best of the era. Josquin Desprez’s Missa Da pacem
is similarly well constructed, with some warm harmonies and
compositional innovations, especially in terms of the use of
cantus firmus. Although the authorship of this work has been
called into question, Clytus Gottwald makes a good case for
it to have been written by Desprez in the extensive booklet
notes. The music is performed well. I especially enjoyed the
expressive and committed rendition of the Credo, and the peaceful
calm of the Agnus Dei.
Disc 3 was recorded later, between 1981 and 1988, and the vocal
sound seems more evenly balanced. Heinrich Finck’s Sanctus
is a fine seven minute work, taken from the Mass for Six
Voices. This recording, although in the same resonant acoustic
as the earlier discs, has better blending in the voices and
the individual lines are also more clearly audible. More offerings
from Ockeghem and Desprez follow. The Missa cuiusvis toni
by Ockeghem has a beautifully peaceful Kyrie, which sets the
atmosphere for the rest of the work. The resonance which develops
in the Benedictus is highly engaging, and there are some moments
of wonderful harmony which reveal the extent of Ockeghem’s
talent. The singing is sensitive, with some well shaped phrases
and good attention to expressive detail. The Josquin Desprez
work on this disc is Missa super ‘Malheur me bat’,
taking its basis from a polyphonic song which was popular at
the time. Throughout the work, he demonstrates skilful composition
technique, with dazzling polyphony and imaginative harmony.
The final disc dates from 1971 and 1984, and includes music
by Gombert, Isaac and Brumel. Nicolas Gombert is thought to
have studied with Josquin Desprez in the latter part of Josquin’s
life, and his 6-part motet Musae Jovis ter maximi was
written to commemorate Josquin’s death. Gombert began
his career as a singer and composer, and achieved much success,
becoming one of the best known composers in the time between
Josquin and Palestrina. Musae Jovis uses a cantus firmus
which had been used by Josquin himself and is an enjoyable tribute
from student to teacher.
Antoine Brumel’s Mass Et ecce terrae motus is set
for twelve voices, and in its use of antiphony and harmonic
shifts, reminds me in some ways of Tallis’s Spem in
Alium, which was written several years later. This is Brumel’s
most well-known mass, and is a significant work, both in duration
and in technique. His compositional style builds on the work
of his teacher, Josquin Desprez, but creates further developments
of the form, using more chordal textures in this work than perhaps
would have been usual for the time. He is freer in his use of
imitation than other composers of the time, and his compositional
style here anticipates that of Palestrina and others from later
eras.
The final work in this collection is Heinrich Isaac’s
Missa paschalis, which contains the movements of the
Ordinary of the mass, but does not have a Credo. It uses the
specific chants for Easter Mass as cantus firmus motifs. Some
extraordinary moments of harmony are particularly memorable,
and plainchant is an important feature.
Overall, this box-set provides a good overview of the repertoire
of the era, with some well-prepared and carefully considered
performances. The choral sound is good although I felt that
the audio quality lacks the clarity that is achieved on other
recordings of the repertoire - for example, Ensemble Musica
Nova’s 2007 Missa Cuiusvis Toni recording on Aeon.
Having said that, this set provides excellent value for money
and serves as an enjoyable and valuable introduction to the
choral repertoire of this era.
Carla Rees
Schola Cantorum Sttutgart/Clytus Gottwald 