This record contains all the three-part music now thought to survive from Josquin. There are also two that that influential Josquin work-list in Grove brands as spurious (and I would be inclined to agree). But in a project of this kind it is surely right to err on the side of generosity. The Medieval Ensemble of London place us in their debt by choosing a body of music that leaves the way open for themselves (or another ensemble) to build on it towards the eventual assembly of Josquin's complete works. Record companies and ensembles should surely now be considering the need for an integrale of a composer of Josquin's stature.
Several of the pieces have been recorded elsewhere, of course, notably on Joshua Rifkin's 1971 record with the Nonesuch Consort (Nonesuch H71261, 8/72—nla) where the instrumental playing is excellent but the singing now seems wobbly. Even so, the Medieval Ensemble's record contains many works that have not previously been available. Moreover, in all cases they have used new transcriptions by the admirable Josquin-scholar Jaap van Benthem, often improving considerably on the published complete edition (which in any case omits several of the works).
As can happen in any 'complete' project, some pieces work better than others. Occasionally the assumption that Josquin's pitch was always the same as ours results in growling sounds that are insufficiently clear; sometimes the particular instrumental combination used for a textless piece seems unsuccessful (as in Madame, helas or in the difficulties of balancing the three recorders in Helas, madame).
But for the most part it is a record of delicious sounds, with stylish and exciting singing that at last gives a cogent and coherent view of what is perhaps the most neglected portion of Josquin's output.'