Machaut's mass cycle is clearly one of the unique pieces of the Ars Nova, and one of the monuments of medieval music in general. (Here it's followed by a program of some of his best chansons, selected apparently for their stylistic variety.) As a singular piece, it can also be difficult to relate to other music, e.g. the eventually prominent later (e.g. Renaissance) mass cycles in rather different styles, the contemporaneous "cycles" that seem to consist more of independent movements, or the eventually rather large repertory of (sometimes paired) mass movements from later in the Ars Nova & into the fifteenth century... — although the latter do indeed show stylistic continuity with Machaut (& also become more complex). Is his Mass really even a favorite at this point? I'm not sure, as I've certainly heard it plenty of times, but I'm continuing to treat it here as a musical monument. It should still e.g. make a great introduction to the era — although I personally find myself listening to the songs far more frequently. Pace those remarks, the program here is then as canonical as any.
As far as the interpretation, this is a new generation, and what I hear is wonderfully assertive & idiomatic. There're some unusual ornaments, a few liberties with contrapuntal arrangements in some moments, but all of this comes off as part of a grand sweep that announces so well Machaut's mass (& to a somewhat lesser degree, portions of his other output...). Where I'd always faulted "these groups" in the past — by which I mean more popularly (or even classically) oriented ensembles known more for their vocal talent in general than for their commitment to medieval music... — is around overall coherence & continuity with the music: Chanticleer's Renaissance albums from 30 years ago are basically some pretty moments surrounded by awkward gibberish (to be blunt). Here in considerable contrast, we have quite simply the strongest & most direct (even pace the liberties...!) projection of the full mass cycle, maintaining continuity from beginning to end. Nothing really sounds wrong, meaning their choices fit stylistically (rather than e.g. becoming congratulatory of the 21st century, as sometimes...).
This is the first reading where not only are the two contrasting styles of the mass cycle — the movements with short & long texts — given solid stylistic interpretations (with the long Gloria & Credo texts having been slower to find coherent readings in the past...), but don't come off as rather different styles. The entire cycle seems coherent... very easy to follow, in fact. And indeed with great voice talent & so e.g. various pretty moments: There's no "strain" with these guys. Tuning is also great (although with the singers making some of their own choices, which is always the case...). And almost shockingly, there're no foolish games with tempi & the like (as another staple of popular style over previous decades...). I didn't even expect to enjoy this release, but it actually comes off as sounding more natural & uninflected than any other....
So I guess this really means that Machaut is part of the standard repertory now? (That might be unfair to Chanticleer, but they literally cite books from the 1990s to explain their style, not anything new. So it's all execution, from that perspective.) We clearly have younger singers who know & enjoy the material, making personal choices that seem to fit, so this feels like a real moment, at least for Machaut & the Ars Nova.
Todd M. McComb Updated: 21 September 2026