Machaut: Le vray remède d'amour

Le vray remède d'amour
Machaut: Ballades, Rondeaux, Virelais, Motets
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Harmonic 8825
Cantus 9625

Contents:

  1. Poem: Je Guillaumes
  2. Virelai: Dame, vostre doulz viaire (voice, flute, vielle)
  3. Motet: Amours qui ha le pouoir / Faus samblant m'a deceu (3 voices)
  4. Virelai: Je vivroie liement (bagpipes, tambourine)
  5. Rondeau: Ce qui soustient moy (2 voices)
  6. Poem: La, firent mains divers acors
  7. Ballade: Dame se vous m'estes lonteinne (recorder, 2 vielles, harp, lute)
  8. Ballade: Je ne cuit pas (voice, lute)
  9. Rondeau: Doulz viaire gracieus (2 voices, recorder)
  10. Motet: Christe, qui lux es / Veni creator spiritus (4 voices)
  11. Poem: Qui des couleurs
  12. Rondeau: Puisqu'en oubli (voice, recorder, 2 vielles)
  13. Ballade: Dame ne regardes pas (2 vielles)
  14. Ballade: Doulz amis (2 voices)
  15. Poem: Long sont mi jour
  16. Complainte: Tels rit au main (recorder)
  17. Virelai: Liement me deport (2 voices, tambourine)
  18. Poem: Dès quon porroit
  19. Ballade: De toutes flours (voice, vielle, harp)
  20. Poem: Mon cuer, ma suer
  21. Motet: Felix virgo / Inviolata genitrix (4 voices)
    Poem: A Dieu mon tres-dous cuer

Performers: Anne-Marie Lablaude (soprano), Brigitte Lesne (mezzo-soprano, harp, tambourine), Dominique Vellard (tenor, lute), Emmanuel Bonnardot (baritone, vielle), Jean-Paul Racodon (recitation), Pierre Hamon (recorders, bagpipe, flutes), Randall Cook (vielle)

Playing time: 68'

Recording date: October 1988

Excerpts:
[4], [13], [16] Cantus C 9705/6 Dictionary of Medieval & Renaissance Instruments

As noted in the contents, this recording includes some short spoken poems in addition to a wide variety of vocal & instrumental performance. Besides these items from Machaut's major poetic works, there is a fine selection from his musical output. The opening monophonic virelai is performed with improvised instrumental accompaniment, while in the other pieces there is one line allocated to each performer. The basic style of instrumental articulation is derived from vocal technique in keeping with the lyrical nature of the music.

There is such an incredible luminosity and intelligent articulation here that it's difficult not to try harder to this performance. Nothing else compares.

A companion volume:

Le Jugement du Roi de Navarre
Machaut: Ballades, motets, virelais et textes dits
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Cantus 9626

A program by an overlapping ensemble:

Mercy ou mort
Machaut: Chansons & motets d'amour
Ensemble Ferrara - Crawford Young
Arcana 305

A solo recording by one of the present performers, in similar style:

Machaut: Ay mi!
Lais et virelais
Emmanuel Bonnardot
Opus 111 30-171

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Todd M. McComb