MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


CD REVIEW
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH


Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger


alternatively Crotchet   AmazonUK   AmazonUS

Guillaume DUFAY (c.1397-1474)
Music for Saint Anthony of Padua
Missa de S Anthonii de Padua (c.1450, ed. David Fallows) [54:27]
Introit In media ecclesiae [5:49]
Kyrie [2:28]
Gloria [8:06]
Gradual Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam [6:41]
Alleluia Anthoni compar inclite [6:23]
Credo [8:53]
Offertory Veritas mea [3:35]
Sanctus [6:13]
Agnus Dei [3:28]
Communion Domine, quinque talenta [2 :41]
O proles Hispanię / O sidus Hispanię [4 :28]
The Binchois Consort (Mark Chambers, Fergus McLusky (discantus); Edwin Simpson, Matthew Vine (tenor I); Andrew Carwood, Chris Watson (tenor II))/Andrew Kirkman
rec. with assistance from the Plainsong  and Medieval Music Society, 17-19, 29 January 1996, venue not stated. DDD.
Booklet with notes in English, French and German. 
Texts in Latin with English translation.
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55271 [59:02]



By one of those unfortunate coincidences, this recording first appeared almost simultaneously with the Archiv recording of the Mass and Veni creator spiritus (Pomerium/Alexander Blachly, 447 772-2).  Reviewers then found it hard to choose between the two but at its new bargain price this Hyperion recording now enjoys a clear advantage and, in any case, the Archiv CD appears to have been deleted from the general catalogue, though it is available as a high-quality CD-R from ArkivMusic.
 
Saint Anthony of Padua, not to be confused with Saint Anthony the first hermit, for whose feast Dufay also wrote a Mass (see below), seems to have ranked high in Dufay’s devotions; one of his treasured possessions was a piece of the saint’s belt, so it is hardly surprising that the Missa de S Anthonii de Padua should be one of his best pieces – assuming that the work we have here is indeed that Mass.  Thanks to detective work by David Fallows, whose edition is used for this recording, the attribution to Dufay of a set of anonymous propria in a manuscript from Trent is almost certain.
 
The normal practice was to set the common, the fixed portions of the Mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Benedictus and Agnus Dei, as Dufay does in his best-known setting, the Mass Se la face ay pale.  The propria or propers, those sections special to the day, are then chanted.  Dufay, however, here sets both the common and the propers for a complete Mass.
 
The Franciscan St Anthony of Padua (d. 1331) was known as the ‘Hammer of Heretics’ for his missionary work in France, Italy, Sicily and Mauretania.  As a Confessor and Doctor of the Church, the Mass for his day (June 13th) follows with variations the pattern for a Confessor.  Before the Tridentine reforms a number of local variants prevailed.  In most of England, the so-called Sarum Rite was most common, but there were variations in the York, Hereford and other usages.  In other countries, too, local variants existed, mostly swept away after the Council of Trent, except for the Ambrosian Rite at Milan and the Mozarabitic Rite in one chapel of Toledo Cathedral.  Dufay’s setting, therefore, presumably intended for Cambrai, does not correspond exactly with either the Sarum or Tridentine usages.  (For the Tridentine propers for his day, go to the catholic.org website.)
 
The Introit, In media ecclesię – In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth – and Gradual, Os justi – The mouth of the righteous shall rehearse wisdom – are as per the Tridentine Rite, with a short sequence in praise of Anthony, Anthoni compar inclite, following the Alleluia – Anthony our illustrious companion on the way.  (Compar almost = ‘mate’ or ‘buddy’.)  The Offertory is Veritas mea, as in the Sarum Rite – My truth and my mercy are upon him – and the Communion, Domine, quinque talenta compares the saint to the faithful servant in the parable who increased his talents, instead of the related text Fidelis servus used in the Tridentine and Sarum usages.
 
What we have here is, thus, the complete Mass for the day, except for the Collect, Epistle, Gospel, Preface and Canon, which would have been chanted.  I suppose it is too much to hope that some day we can be given the complete works, setting the polyphonic sections within the chant, as in Paul McCreesh’s various liturgical reconstructions.  (A Venetian Christmas, 471 333-2, Prętorius’s Christmas Mass, 439 250-2, or Venetian Vespers, 476 1868.)  With twenty minutes of potential playing time left, this could have been achieved, but it is churlish of me to complain when the performances are so superb – and we are given a bonus in the form of the motet O proles Hispanię/O sidus Hispanię – O scion of Spain/O star of Spain – intended for Compline on the eve of the feast.
 
If you sometimes find it difficult to come to terms with earlier medieval music, you’ll probably find yourself on more familiar territory here.  Polyphonic music developed in different ways well after the time of Dufay but if you have already found your way around its later exponents, such as Tallis, Byrd or Palestrina, you shouldn’t have too much trouble relating to Dufay, especially as performed here.
 
I have already run out of superlatives for the various Gothic Voices reissues on the Hyperion Helios label which I have reviewed recently.  These performances by the Binchois Consort are equally likely to exhaust my vocabulary, especially if their Music for St James comes my way when it is reissued shortly, as I hope it does.  (If not, I shall certainly buy it.)  The Consort is a small group, six in all, two each of discantus, tenor I and tenor II.  One of their number, Andrew Carwood, is the director of another eminent group, the Cardinalls Musicke.
 
After an initial session in which I listen to the CD once through without making notes, I usually then take up pen and paper and make detailed notes.  In listening to this recording I never went to the second stage, since it was evident from the start that any comments would be repetitious in their praise.  I cannot imagine anyone performing this music better.  The Binchois Consort are consistently more sprightly than their Archiv rivals Pomerium, to the benefit of the music.  I shall probably retain the Archiv version for the sake of its filler, Veni creator spiritus, but it is to the Helios that I shall turn for the Mass.
 
The recording is equally excellent – as usual with Hyperion, it never intrudes on one’s enjoyment of the music.  I was, however, a little surprised not to find details of the recording venue, since Hyperion are usually scrupulous in this matter.
 
The booklet is the usual Hyperion model of information, with notes by Andrew Kirkman and full texts with English translations.  Apart from the Helios logo on the front, it is a straight reprint of the original – would that other record companies were as generous with their bargain-price reissues.  The Latin texts are presented without misprint and the translations are accurate – two things which cannot always be taken for granted.
 
I know that I have only recently nominated the Helios reissue of Music for the Lion-hearted King (CDH55292) as Bargain of the Month but this Dufay reissue is just as deserving.
 
The booklet advertises the Binchois Consort’s version of Dufay’s undoubtedly authentic Mass for St James the Greater as available on the Helios label, CDH55272, an announcement which seems to be a little premature; I understand from Hyperion that its reappearance is imminent (March 2008).  Further Binchois Consort recordings of the Mass Puisque je vis (CDA67368) and the Mass for St Anthony Abbot (CDA67474) remain at full price.  (See Em Marshall’s favourable review of the latter: “gorgeous works ... outstandingly performed.”)  There is also music by Dufay on two excellent Helios reissues of the Gothic Voices which I have reviewed recently: The Castle of Fair Welcome (CDH55274) and The Garden of Zephirus (CDH55289).  If that still does not exhaust your appetite, try another Hyperion full-price Binchois Consort CD, Josquin and his Contemporaries (CDA67183).
 
I haven’t heard any of the current versions of Dufay’s Mass Se la face ay pale but I note that Alpha are about to reissue in February 2008 their highly-rated version at bargain price (Alpha908).  It’s time that I replaced my elderly and unidiomatic Vox/Bach Guild recording of this work (Hans Gillesberger) and it is to the Alpha version that I shall turn.  There is a good recording of Dufay’s Mass L’homme armé on Naxos 8.553087 (Oxford Camerata under Jeremy Summerly).
 
The Wikipedia article on Dufay was reliable when last I looked, but be aware, as always, that it is subject at any time to inaccurate additions – and the section on his Masses omits any reference to the present work.  There are scores of various pieces by Dufay available online but, unfortunately, none which relate to the present works.
 
Brian Wilson
 



 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools




Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.