Josquin Desprez /
Ensembles vocaux Biscantor et Métamorphoses
Vol. 10, Josquin et St. Quentin — Messes Malheur me bat et L'ami Baudichon
[12.1.2022]
spotify.com |
medieval.org
Ar Ré-Sé 2021-2
Release date: 2021
Messe Malheur me bat
1. Kyrie [3:49]
2. Gloria [6:01]
3. Credo [7:17]
4. Sanctus [11:06]
5. Agnus Dei [10:55]
Messe L'ami Baudichon
6. Kyrie [3:01]
5. Gloria [6:40]
8. Credo [10:02]
9. Sanctus [7:24]
10. Agnus Dei [4:39]
[12.1.2022]
medieval.org Remarks
http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/remarks.html
12 January 2022
Todd M. McComb
———
So a couple of Josquin Year items that I hadn't reviewed are Volumes 9 & 10 of
Maurice Bourbon's series of Josquin Masses. These issues apparently
complete that series (& it's ten volumes instead of nine, as per
the Tallis Scholars & Vocal Ensemble Cappella series, because some
of Bourbon's own music is included on a couple of volumes, although not
these...), but I also wasn't able to peruse the liner notes, so don't
know e.g. recording dates.
That suggests a brief digression here: Especially the past couple of
years, I've moved more into listening to downloads, not only because of
the cost (& this site takes in less money than ever these days...
while no one really makes money recording this music, either), but
because of the material consequences involved in packaging, shipping,
etc. And then the downside is that downloads don't always include liner
notes — which can be especially frustrating for a project such as
this.
In any case, I was indeed able to audition the remainder of Bourbon's
series, if not to know some details. And of course, it's difficult not
to turn to the Tallis Scholars series as a sort of reference for a
similar project... not that I love everything about that series, but
since it restarted, it simply offers the clearest articulation of most
of these masses. While the "defects" in the sound, i.e. modern breath
support & consequently sometimes strident blend around sopranos,
are also found — if not more so — with Bourbon's group....
So in that sense, these series are comparable, and then, particularly
by the end, the Tallis Scholars articulates everything so clearly,
which I really appreciate, even if I don't really love their sound,
while Bourbon is playing more with personal conductorial flourishes....
(And I feel as though the former needs to happen more regularly, or at
all, before the latter starts making sense....)
So what this basically means for me is that e.g. Bourbon's L'homme
armé disc has been worthwhile, since the Tallis Scholars
interpretation of that program is quite dated/eccentric (from the
1980s). I also find these later issues from Bourbon to be generally
more forceful in their sweep, at least at times, but meandering or
murky at others... often stylized (e.g. per typical contemporary choral
approaches). But it's also worth hearing other takes on these masses,
and Bourbon (originally an engineer...) has remained committed (&
with a relatively big, spatialized sound by the end). It's not as
though I consider any of the current readings to be amazing... just
more steps in a process of interpretive discovery. Josquin's major mass
cycles continue to be challenging music to understand & render, and
these interpretations do develop a (somewhat coy) personality....
[15.1.2022]
