Early Music Recording Lists

Renaissance Secular Songs

The subject of this list is the secular music of the Renaissance. My appreciation is centered strongly in the 15th century, although there are several areas of the 16th century (and even somewhat beyond) which interest me.

This genre can be especially rich and poignant, although it was short-lived in its Franco-Flemish form. In some ways there is a natural progression from the medieval forms, but the Renaissance is marked by the use of more compact thematic material.

The sectional break-downs & individual listings are arranged roughly chronologically, and intended to help clarify stylistic eras. At the end of the list, various national traditions of difference scope will be included.

Burgundian & Franco-Flemish Songs

This section begins with the beautiful songs of of Dufay & Binchois and the style which heralds the musical Renaissance. It continues into the early 16th century, where it reaches its greatest formal complexity, and then disappears in the face of the homophonic style and national traditions. Songs are usually in French, although there is some Italian. This continues to be some of my favorite repertory, and I would be happy to list more recordings here. Busnoys is particularly neglected, given his stature.

I have now broken this section roughly into two generations.

The Spirits of England and France - 3 (*)

Binchois and his Contemporaries
Gothic Voices - Christopher Page
Hyperion 66783

Mon souverain desir (****)

Binchois: Chansons
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Virgin Veritas 45285

Joye (**)

Les plaints de Gilles de Bins dit Binchois
Ensemble Graindelavoix - Björn Schmelzer
Glossa "Platinum" 32102

Dufay: Complete Secular Music (**)

Medieval Ensemble of London - Peter & Timothy Davies
L'Oiseau Lyre 452 557 (5 CDs)

Dufay: Mille Bonjours! (**)

Diabolus in Musica - Antoine Guerber
Alpha 116

Dufay: Motets (***)

Cantica Symphonia - Giuseppe Maletto
Vol. 1: Glossa 31902
Vol. 2: Glossa 31904

Le Chansonnier Cordiforme (**)

Consort of Musicke - Anthony Rooley
L'Oiseau Lyre (Japan) 3170 (3 CDs)

Ockeghem: Complete Secular Music (***)

Medieval Ensemble of London - Peter Davies / Timothy Davies
L'Oiseau Lyre 436 194 (2 CDs)

Napoli Aragonese (*)

Musica profana per la corte aragonese napoletana: secolo XV
Micrologus
Opus 111 30-215

Agricola: Chansons (*)

Ferrara Ensemble - Crawford Young
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77038

Agricola: Fortuna desperata (*)

Secular Music of the 15th Century
Ensemble Unicorn - Michael Posch
Naxos 8.553840

Josquin: Adieu mes amours - Chansons (*)

Ensemble Clément Janequin / Ensemble Les Eléments - Dominique Visse
Harmonia Mundi 901279

Pierre de la Rue (**)

Chansons from the Album of Marguerite of Austria
Corvina Consort - Zoltán Kalmanovits
Hungaroton 32018

Carnetz secretz (*)

Marguerite d'Autriche (1480-1530)
Les Jardins de Courtoisie - Anne Delafosse-Quentin
Ambronay 007

Later Renaissance

Although it covers a relatively large stylistic range, the present section will be fairly brief. I am perhaps hyper-critical in this area, preferring the older French style. Perhaps not coincidentally, this is also the time we see more distinct national traditions, rather than the pan-European style of the previous few generations. English secular music finally comes into its own here, although themes are often closely linked to the sacred.

Non e' tempo d'Aspettare (**)

Frottole dal Primo Libro di Franciscus Bossinensis
Roberta Invernizzi / Accademia Strumentale Italiana - Alberto Rasi
Stradivarius 33516

Le Jeune: Airs & Pseaumes (*)

Corvina Consort - Zoltán Kalmanovits
Hungaroton 32189

Byrd: Psalmes, Sonets & Songs (1588) (*)

The Consort of Musicke - Anthony Rooley
L'Oiseau Lyre (Florilegium) 443 187

Dowland: The Third Booke of Songs (1603) (*)

The Consort of Musicke - Anthony Rooley
L'Oiseau Lyre 430 284

If a recording in this genre is not listed here, either I haven't been able to obtain a copy (perhaps out of print), I don't know about it at all, I felt that it is substantially duplicated by a recording I like better, or I didn't care for it enough to give it one star. Please feel free to inquire, especially if you know a recording I probably don't.

I will try to keep this page up to date as new releases appear.

To recommendation lists.