Texte paru dans: / Appeared in: Naxos 8573325 |
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Outil de traduction ~ (Très approximatif) |
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Reviewer: Barry
Brenesal
It’s not much of an
exaggeration to state that connoisseurs of music manuscripts drool over the
idea of the Chansonnier Cordiforme. It is by all accounts (I’ve never seen
it or its 2008 facsimile edition, other than in photos) a document of
remarkable quality, its striking heart shape to one side: a matter of
quality copying, parchment, texts, perfectly aligned staving, red velvet
cover, black leather casing, gold leaf, and complex, illuminated images.
Musically, it is of rather less importance. Greedy and dissolute Jean de
Montchenu, Bishop of Agen, commissioned what amounted to a collection of
“greatest hits” among the wealthier churchmen, nobles, and merchants of his
time and place. As Fabrice Fitch noted in a review of the facsimile, of its
43 chansons, “nearly a third appear in more than ten sources.” One song,
Hayne’s De tous bien plaine, has as many as 30 extent sources, according to
David Fallows, who completed the published edition of the manuscript’s
contents. Those seeking unica, or even significant textural variants on
rarely transcribed works, will have to find them elsewhere. Of the 19 selections included on this release, 17 derive from the Chansonnier, while two by Tinctoris—arrangements of well-known songs to which he added an elaborate discantus—are presented in instrumental transcription. The performances display the sensitivity to balance, clarity, and linear movement that I’ve noted in past recordings by Marc Lewon’s Ensemble Leones. In only one respect does it disappoint: Of the group’s three vocalists, mezzo Els Jansssens-Vanmunster betrays some fraying of the tone and support issues in her upper midrange. Since the album was recorded over a relatively short period of time, from October 6 to 9, 2014, it’s likely this was just a short indisposition. Still, while her voice remains far better here than the unfortunate standard which many early music ensembles supply, it does occasionally intrude on the music’s enjoyment. | |
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