Ockeghem Missa 'de plus en plus'; Chansons
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Johannes Ockeghem
Label: Blue
Magazine Review Date: 8/1997
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 73
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: 453 419-2AH
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Missa "De plus en plus" |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| Presque transi |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| Prenez sur moi vostre exemple |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| O rosa bella o dolce anima mia |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| Aultre Venus estés |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| S'elle m'amera |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| Tant fuz gentement |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
| Mort tu as navré 'Déploration sur la mort de Binchois' |
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer
Johannes Ockeghem, Composer Orlando Consort |
Author: Fabrice Fitch
It’s just like the proverbial buses. We’ve had to wait 450-odd years for a recording of Ockeghem’s Mass De plus en plus, and three come along at once. In a previous review, I found it difficult to decide between the Clerks’ Group on ASV and The Tallis Scholars on Gimell. This superb recording by the Orlando Consort doesn’t make the choice any easier, for all three recordings offer sharply contrasting views of the work, and equally contrasting ‘B-sides’. Given that the Mass gets top billing in each case, it’s hard to resist launching straight into comparisons. So I ought to start by pointing out that the Orlandos’ mixed programme of sacred and secular music offers perhaps the most rounded picture of Ockeghem’s art.
In the Mass, they offer a clear alternative to The Clerks and The Tallis Scholars. The Orlandos are the obvious choice for those who prefer a soloistic approach, or for whom anything other than countertenors on top lines smacks of heresy. Their adoptive Gallic pronunciation is more noticeable and effective here than on previous recordings. It so happens that each ensemble uses a different edition, and the Orlandos seem to me to have the edge – the strikingly different colouring from around the five-minute mark of theGloria is one example of clear contrast between Jaap van Benthem’s edition and those of Andrew Kirkman (Clerks) and John Milsom (The Tallis Scholars). But they won’t have only the purists on their side: looking to the competition, the Orlandos combine the best of both worlds. They are, like The Tallis Scholars, more experienced singers than The Clerks, which translates here into more logical phrasing and breathing in solo passages (try the beginning of the Gloria); but they share with The Clerks a greater interpretative acuteness, and a quality of ensemble that is of itself more expressive. True, The Clerks’ essentially choral approach allows Edward Wickham to shape events more dramatically; he can also combine or exchange singers unobtrusively when Ockeghem’s demanding voice-ranges and long-arching lines get the better of them (as in the Bassus of the Credo at 6'04'' and 6'09''). The result is occasionally nimbler than the Orlandos, almost sprightly; but the Orlandos’ more restrained interpretation is no less telling, and they negotiate the voice-ranges all by themselves (another point for the purists). The odd hint of tiredness is scarcely surprising in the circumstances (the Credo, perhaps?), but the sheer stamina here is impressive. If I am to give a personal preference, then it goes to the Orlandos, who do on the whole achieve more with less: that is part of the magic of hearing Ockeghem sung this way.
The accompanying songs represent the first substantial view of Ockeghem’s secular music since the Medieval Ensemble of London’s complete set of 1983. The Orlandos’ selection certainly makes the case for Ockeghem’s versatility as a song composer, a point emphasized by the differences of scoring to which they are especially sensitive. Individual contributions from the earlier set remain memorable (I’d be hard put to choose between Margaret Philpot’s haunting Tant fuz and that of Robert Harre-Jones), but the setting of O rosa bella convinces in a way that the earlier version failed to, and the vocal standard in ensemble situations is altogether more assured. Ockeghem’s music is also perhaps better understood now than it was 15 years ago, and the Orlandos benefit from more sensitive editorial decisions (barring one jarring misprint at 0'50'' of Petite camusette). Yet the declamation of these texts is not always as emphatic as one might wish: Presque transi and Mort tu as navre seem almost detached from the pathos of their texts. If this recording demonstrates anything, it is that the sacred and the secular are very different worlds. If the Orlandos seem to have trouble shifting gears between the two they are certainly not alone, either in England or abroad.
I mentioned at the start that recommending one disc above the others is no easy matter, because when one discounts the Mass, the three programmes are as chalk and cheese. Having given The Tallis Scholars as my third choice for De plus en plus, I should say that the accompanying Mass Au travail suis is rather special. Its weirdness is what makes it quintessential Ockeghem, its sparse textures bring out the best in The Tallis Scholars’ soloists, and (as I suggested in the previous review) the coupling of the two Masses is a brilliant piece of programming. Similarly, it’s hard to choose between the Orlandos’ songs and The Clerks’ motets. So it may come down to which type of sound you prefer – remembering that these are three of the finest ensembles in the business, each with their own, immediately recognizable palette. As dilemmas go, this one is quite pleasant: shopping round for recordings of Ockeghem’s Masses is a luxury we’re only just getting used to.'
In the Mass, they offer a clear alternative to The Clerks and The Tallis Scholars. The Orlandos are the obvious choice for those who prefer a soloistic approach, or for whom anything other than countertenors on top lines smacks of heresy. Their adoptive Gallic pronunciation is more noticeable and effective here than on previous recordings. It so happens that each ensemble uses a different edition, and the Orlandos seem to me to have the edge – the strikingly different colouring from around the five-minute mark of the
The accompanying songs represent the first substantial view of Ockeghem’s secular music since the Medieval Ensemble of London’s complete set of 1983. The Orlandos’ selection certainly makes the case for Ockeghem’s versatility as a song composer, a point emphasized by the differences of scoring to which they are especially sensitive. Individual contributions from the earlier set remain memorable (I’d be hard put to choose between Margaret Philpot’s haunting Tant fuz and that of Robert Harre-Jones), but the setting of O rosa bella convinces in a way that the earlier version failed to, and the vocal standard in ensemble situations is altogether more assured. Ockeghem’s music is also perhaps better understood now than it was 15 years ago, and the Orlandos benefit from more sensitive editorial decisions (barring one jarring misprint at 0'50'' of Petite camusette). Yet the declamation of these texts is not always as emphatic as one might wish: Presque transi and Mort tu as navre seem almost detached from the pathos of their texts. If this recording demonstrates anything, it is that the sacred and the secular are very different worlds. If the Orlandos seem to have trouble shifting gears between the two they are certainly not alone, either in England or abroad.
I mentioned at the start that recommending one disc above the others is no easy matter, because when one discounts the Mass, the three programmes are as chalk and cheese. Having given The Tallis Scholars as my third choice for De plus en plus, I should say that the accompanying Mass Au travail suis is rather special. Its weirdness is what makes it quintessential Ockeghem, its sparse textures bring out the best in The Tallis Scholars’ soloists, and (as I suggested in the previous review) the coupling of the two Masses is a brilliant piece of programming. Similarly, it’s hard to choose between the Orlandos’ songs and The Clerks’ motets. So it may come down to which type of sound you prefer – remembering that these are three of the finest ensembles in the business, each with their own, immediately recognizable palette. As dilemmas go, this one is quite pleasant: shopping round for recordings of Ockeghem’s Masses is a luxury we’re only just getting used to.'
Ockeghem Missa 'de plus en plus'; Chansons
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