Discantus

Johannes Ockeghem (c. 1410-1497) stands as perhaps the greatest of the Franco-Flemish composers of the 15th century. Digitally recorded in 1992, this disc presents a world-premiere release of his two surviving 3-voice masses; Missa Sine Nomine and Missa Quinti Toni. They are presumably early works by the composer and are among his most masterful creations. Complete program notes on the works and general issues of performance practice, along with the mass texts and translations, are enclosed. Produced by Gerald Gold.

Ensemble Discantus - Santa Maria: Songs to the Virgin in 13th Century Spain (2016) {Bayard Musique 308 489.2}
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© 2016 Bayard Musique / Harmonia Mundi | 308 489.2
Classical / Early Music / Medieval / Choral

A program that gives pride to the famous collection of Cantigas de Santa Maria, Galician songs recounting legends and miracles of the Virgin, alternating with Marian songs of the troubadours Guiraut Riquier and Folquet Lunel (longtime present at the Alfonso X king's court) and polyphonies from the exquisite codex Las Huelgas.

One is struck by the overwhelming majority of pieces in honour of the Virgin Mary in the extant sources of the School of Notre-Dame. Indeed, the rich and many-faceted devotion to Our Lady, which characterized the Middle Ages and reached its peak in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, was itself paralleled by the secular devotion to the ideal Lady of chivalry sung by troubadour and trouvere alike.

Various Artists - La Polyphonie Flamande - The Flemish Polyphony (2011) {8CD Set Ricercar RIC 102}
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© 2011 Outhere / Ricercar | RIC 102
Classical / Early Music / Polyphony / Medieval / Choral / Renaissance / Sacred Works

The composers known collectively as the Fiamminghi made their mark in Europe in general and in Italy and in France in particular during the 15th century. Their talent and skill gained them the most important positions in the great musical establishments of the time. This collection is devoted to the leading composers of the 15th century, from those of the first generation (Guillaume Dufay, Gilles Binchois, Arnold de Lantins and Johannes Brassart) through Johannes Ockeghem, the great master of polyphonic technique, to Josquin Desprez and Pierre de La Rue, two musicians taught by Ockeghem who laid the foundations of the Ars Perfecta during the Renaissance. Also included is Jacob Obrecht, the only composer of this school whose career was based essentially in his native Flanders. Every genre of both sacred as well as secular music of the time is represented here.

Conductus, organum, and discantus may not be words in your everyday vocabulary, but these terms identify musical forms that defined everyday musical activity during one of music history's most fruitful periods. The 12th century in France, especially in Paris–the artistic, educational, and religious center of Western Europe–saw enormous progress in the arts, architecture, and education. Not surprisingly, technical and theoretical aspects of music advanced as well. On this disc, the six-voice men's ensemble Lionheart demonstrates in vivid, rich vocal tones the sometimes stark but always powerful sound of Medieval chant and its expanded two- and three-part forms. The liner notes give clear explanations of the compositions and provide the listener with meaningful historical context. But listening to these excellent voices is not just an educational experience. The music has an inherent purity, sensuality, and honesty that's refreshing and reassuring.