Prompted by the discussion about good classical music, here are some of my favourite medieval and early renaissance recordings, and some thoughts, as a general introduction. Comments, discussion, opinions, and questions are very welcome.
I have been listening to early music for a few months only, and have no advanced music training, so there is still much for me to discover. The writings at
www.medieval.org have been invaluable; featured there are a much more complete overview and articles about the repertory, composers, discographies, etc.
*Medieval*
Perotinus & Notre Dame School
(not the absolute earliest polyphony, but an excellent starting point)
Recordings by Ensemble Gilles Binchois, their latest being Pérotin & L'École de Notre Dame, 1160-1245.
The 2cd set Music of the Gothic Era by Munrow shows its age, but the program itself is worthwhile, providing a clear overview of the evolution of medieval polyphony: Notre Dame -> Ars Antiqua -> Ars Nova -> Machaut.
Troubadours & Trouvères
(secular aristocrat-songwriters from 1100-1300; monophonic, interesting for exploring the possibilities of a long melodic line.)
Richard Coeur de lion; Tristan & Yseut by Alla Francesca
Lescurel: Fontaine de Grace by Ensemble Gilles Binchois
Guillaume de Machaut
(a monumental figure; his mass is the most well known of his output now because we have this thing for large works that we can relate to symphonies, but his secular polyphonic songs were his greatest achievement based on their innovation & influence)
Secular: Recordings by Ensemble Gilles Binchois, my favourite being Le vray remède d’amour.
Sacred: Messe de Nostre Dame by Diabolus in Musica.
Italian medieval secular
(here the Italians were following the French’s lead)
Recordings by Micrologus. I have not heard their entire output, but can vouch for D'Amor cantando and Landini E I Suoi Contemporanei.
Ars Subtilior
(took Machaut’s lead and brought songwriting to new levels of complexity; was once considered unplayable)
I have yet to hear anything from this period, but I intend to start with Alla Francesca based on the quality of their other recordings.
England
(doing their own old-fashioned thing, but based on the interval of the third instead of the fourth or fifth--if you don't know what this means, the third is the interval found in Iron Maiden's double leads; this new sonority will be adopted by the composers of Burgundy due to the closeness of rulership, and then by the rest of the continent):
Cathedral Sounds - Dunstable by Clemencic Consort
Honi soit qui mal y pense! by Diabolus in Musica
*Early Renaissance*
French Secular Songs:
Guillaume Dufay (Burgundy)
Dufay: Mille bonjours ! by Diabolus in Musica
Gilles Binchois (Burgundy)
Binchois: Mon souverain désir by Ensemble Gilles Binchois. (The Virgin Veritas 2x re-release with Lescurel: Fontaine de grace is a great value)
Sacred Music:
Dufay: I haven't heard much yet. I have high expectations for Missa Ecce ancilla Domini by Ensemble Gilles Binchois when I'll find it.
Franco-Flemish composers:
I’m only familiar with their masses, and look forward to discovering their secular works.
Ockeghem
Requiem by Ensemble Organum and Clemencic’s Cathedral Sounds (includes missa sine nomine) are satisfactory. I yearn for more; the very lengthy, independent melodies are fascinating, especially the way he can hint at a cadence, but hold off on the expected closure to start a new development of the multiple melodies.
Obrecht
The only cd I’ve heard is Missa Si dedero / Missa Pfauenschwanz by Ars Nova Secunda Chorus. Strongly recommended, this is intricate large-scale musical architecture. ANS Chorus is convincing; I’ll seek out their other recordings of Obrecht as well as Agricola. Many of their cds are the first recordings.
Pierre de la Rue
Missa L'homme armé / Missa Pro Defunctis by Ensemble Clément Janequin.
Josquin des Prez
Missa Sine nomine / Missa Ad fugam by The Tallis Scholars
Josquin sounds much closer to us than all the others. This makes me see the end of the medieval era as transitioning into the Renaissance during the years 1400-1500, and Josquin (and the printing press) herald a new beginning in music, more familiar to our ears. He’s certainly the most influential of his era, but I disagree that his music is objectively “better” because of that, and I actually prefer his more old-fashioned contemporaries and the preceding generation. (analogy: Suffocation & their clones)
…and then follows the printing press and humanist concerns, and thus a massive body of music with a very different outlook…
