Josquin: Adieu, mes amours

Josquin: Adieu mes amours - Chansons
Ensemble Clément Janequin / Ensemble Les Eléments - Dominique Visse
Harmonia Mundi HMC 90 1279 [CD]
Harmonia Mundi HMC 40 1279 [Cass.]
Harmonia Mundi "Musique d'abord" HMA 195 1279 [CD]

Contents

  1. Douleur me bat (5 voices, 4 viols)
  2. Adieu mes amours (4 viols)
  3. Plusieurs regretz (2 voices, 4 viols)
  4. Petite camusette (3 voices, 3 viols)
  5. Mille regretz (4 voices, lute)
  6. Mille regretz (lute)
  7. En non saichant (5 voices)
  8. J'ay bien cause (3 voices, lute)
  9. Nimphes, nappés (6 voices, 4 viols, lute)
  10. Ile fantazies (4 viols)
  11. La plus des plus (4 viols)
  12. Plus n'estes ma maistresse (4 voices, lute)
  13. Cueurs désolez (voice, 4 viols)
  14. Plaine de dueil (5 voices, 4 viols)
  15. Busnois/Josquin: Fortuna desperata (4 viols)
  16. Faulte d'argent (5 voices, lute)
  17. Cueur langoreulx (2 voices, 4 viols)
  18. Fors seulement (lute)
  19. Je me complains (5 voices, 4 viols)
  20. Si congié prens (2 voices, 4 viols)
  21. Tenez moy en vos bras (6 voices, 4 viols, lute)
  22. El grillo (4 voices, lute)
  23. Si j'ay perdu mon amy (4 viols)
  24. Parfons regretz (5 voices)
  25. Vous l'arez s'il vous plaist (3 voices, 4 viols)
  26. Allégez moi (6 voices, lute)
  27. Déploration sur la mort de Johannes Ockeghem (5 voices)

Performers:
Ensemble Clément Janequin:
Dominique Visse (counter-tenor), Bruno Boterf (tenor), Jean-Paul Fouchécourt (tenor), Philippe Cantor (baritone), Josep Cabré (baritone), Antoine Sicot (bass), Claude Debôves (lute)
Dominique Visse, dir.
Ensemble les Eléments
Ariane Maurette (viol), Nanneke Schaap (viol), Renée Stock (viol), Erin Headley (viol)

Playing time: 60'

Recording site and date:
Unknown [02/1988]
Rel. 1988 (HMC), 2003 (HMA)

Excerpts:
[4], [27] Harmonia mundi "Passerelles" HMB 590 017 / 18 [CDx2 + book] Les Contre-ténors - Mythes et Réalités (with a book by Peter Giles)
[5]-[6], [16], [26] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 8016 / 20 [CDx5] Musique de la Renaissance Music - L'Europe Musicale au XVe et XVIe siècles
[16] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 8171 [CD] A History of Music, vol. 9: Chansons, Madrigaux & Songs à la Renaissance (1500-1600) / Songs & Madrigals from the Renaissance - Chansons de la Renaissance / Songs of the Renaissance

Compilation:
Harmonia Mundi HMX 290 838 / 40 [CDx3] Chansons de la Renaissance

A collection of polyphonic chansons, mostly sung but some instrumental versions as well. An interesting contrast comes from El grillo, an Italian song on the cricket. The last piece is the famous funeral ode to Josquin's master, a motet-chanson which used the Requiem Aeternam chant as tenor for Jean Molinet's poem.

François Velde

This was the period in which the style of the French chanson of Binchois and Dufay was changing most quickly. The new influences included Italian song genres (especially the short-lived frottola), and primarily the "rustic" song which was developed at this time. Many composers were also writing songs which combined these forms. As opposed to sacred music, Josquin was not the leader in these developments, but his output does include fine examples of all the styles of the time (including the older "courtly" chanson).

Three very different recordings devoted to Josquin's secular music:

Les fantaisies de Josquin
The Instrumental Music of Josquin Desprez
Ensemble Leones - Marc Lewon
Christophorus 77348
Se congie prens
Chansons à cinq et six parties de Josquin Desprez
Ensemble Musica Nova - Lucien Kandel
Raum Klang 3201
The Secular Josquin
The Song Company - Nicholas Routley
Tall Poppies 077

Other Josquin programs which include several songs:

Josquin: Motets and Chansons
Hilliard Ensemble - Paul Hillier
Virgin Veritas Edition 61302
Josquin
Pomerium
Glissando 779 043
Josquin: Missa Ave maris stella
w/ Motets & Chansons
Taverner Consort & Choir - Andrew Parrott
EMI Reflexe 54659
Josquin des Prez
Capella Sancti Michaelis / Currende Consort - Erik Van Nevel
Eufoda 1167
Josquin: Missa de Beata Virgine
w/ Motets & Chansons
Ensemble Ars Nova - Bo Holten
Kontrapunkt 32110

Another fine recording, featuring songs of this era by the acknowledged leader in the "composite" style, Alexander Agricola (c.1446-1506):

Agricola: Chansons
Ferrara Ensemble - Crawford Young
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77038

A recording featuring songs of another of Josquin's contemporaries, focusing on the more austere style:

Pierre de la Rue
Chansons from the Album of Marguerite of Austria
Corvina Consort - Zoltán Kalmanovits
Hungaroton 32018

Finally, a recording devoted to the Italian frottola, a genre in which Josquin also wrote (e.g. El Grillo):

Non e' tempo d'Aspettare
Frottole dal Primo Libro di Franciscus Bossinensis
Roberta Invernizzi / Accademia Strumentale Italiana - Alberto Rasi
Stradivarius 33516

Actually, it is now strongly suggested that such pieces as El Grillo are not by Josquin Desprez at all, but rather Josquin d'Ascanio (fl. 1459-72).

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb