Nicolas Gombert is a notoriously under-recorded composer, but his few appearances in the CD catalogue are fully worthy of him. A few years ago the Huelgas Ensemble devoted a superlative disc to his weighty and imposing polyphony, and a few songs were included in the Clement Janequin Ensemble’s magnificent “Une fete chez Rabelais”. His art has sometimes been described as melancholy; not so. It is certainly the product of the most deliberate self-absorption (a contemporary described him as “profound and deep”), but its concentration and seriousness exclude the possibility of self-indulgence. He was arguably the most radical figure of his generation in the pursuit of a through-composed style, articulated almost entirely by successive points of imitation. All this may sound austere, but the result is aesthetically very compelling.
Having praised the composer to the skies, I’m delighted to say that the contribution of Henry’s Eight stands comparison with the existing recordings in the catalogue. The ensemble made their very promising recording debut earlier this year with a programme devoted to Robert White (Meridian, 5/96). Since then, they have acquired a Musical Director, Jonathan Brown, and a new record label, for whom this is the first issue. I welcomed the White disc enthusiastically, and much of what I wrote then applies here as well. There is perhaps a touch more diffidence, and one or two mannerisms have crept in (the extent of the ritardandos at the ends of pieces strikes me as more of a brake than a close); nevertheless they serve the composer admirably. There is very little duplication relative to the Huelgas’s disc (the Credos a 8 mentioned on both discs are different works), so those familiar with the latter can continue to explore this sublime music with confidence. And those who aren’t can look forward to a marvellous discovery.'