This mass has never been a personal favorite, but it is certainly one of the most significant in Josquin's output. It represents something of a consummation of his musical technique, incorporating imitation and a sense of intimacy. It certainly has some beautiful sections, but does not make as much cumulative impression as some masses of the period.
This performance does not really build upon A Sei Voci's previous work in the series. It has a tendency to "sigh" and wallow in the vanity of the ensemble. This may be due to mounting tedium with the series or bowing to pressure to be more self-indulgent. At any rate, it is a negative and detracts from the lucidity of the music, although there are still some nice passages. Other recent recordings of this mass either lack familiarity with the repertory or have serious technical problems. This has been a mass which has drawn various ideas of performance experimentation, including rhythmic interpolations and eschewal of ficta. From that perspective, this rendition returns to a relatively "straight" interpretation in line with current scholarship.
Despite these misgivings, the rhetorical & pensive nature of the performance does serve to give it a certain character and sophistication. It remains worth listing, although the overall program is probably the weakest for this section. Right now, I consider it very marginal, and am retaining it entirely due to the singular historical stature of the mass.
Todd M. McComb