Music for Saint Katherine of Alexandria —
The Binchois Consort
[30.4.2019]
hyperion-records.co.uk
CDA 68274
Release: 31 May 2019
Walter FRYE (d.1475). Missa Nobilis et pulchra
1. Kyrie Deus creator omnium [6:16]
2. Gloria [6:27]
Thomas[?] BYTTERING (fl.c.1410-1420)
3. En Katerine solennia / Virginalis concio / Sponsus amat sponsam [2:46]
4. Gloria 'Virgo flagellatur' [6:30] Anonymous - Renaissance
5. Nobilis et pulchra [1:57] Anonymous - liturgical
Walter FRYE. Missa Nobilis et pulchra
6. Credo [6:07]
John DUNSTAPLE (c.1390-1453)
7. Gaude virgo Katherina [4:26]
Robert[?] DRIFFELDE (fl.1424-1468)
8. Sanctus and Benedictus 'Regnum mundi' [4:46]
9. Virgo flagellatur [2:48] Anonymous - liturgical
Robert[?] DRIFFELDE (fl.1424-1468)
10. Agnus Dei 'Eructavit cor meum' [5:02]
Walter FRYE. Missa Nobilis et pulchra
11. Sanctus and Benedictus [6:25]
12. Agnus Dei [6:09]
John DUNSTAPLE
13. Salve scema sanctitatis / Salve salus servulorum / Cantant celi agmina laudes [6:34]
[30.4.2019]
medieval.org Remarks
http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/remarks.html
14 Jul 2019
Todd M. McComb
———
Particularly since I used the previous
volume largely to introduce a broader stylistic discussion of
English-Continental oppositions (around the Ashwell
disc from Graindelavoix), I want to give the third volume in
the recent early fifteenth century English music series from the
Binchois Consort, Music for Saint
Katherine, its own entry:
This is, once again, music from
an intriguing era of musical change, performed according to up-to-date
practice & by an ensemble with extensive experience in related
repertory. (And I was delayed in making these remarks due to more
changes in the music retail business....) It also continues a
pairing of alabaster sculpture with music, now with a "sculptor
in residence" involved: It's a curious choice for a multimedia
program in 2019, i.e. photos accompanying a CD, but hey, why not?
Music-wise, as noted in the brief previous mention here, continuing
performances of Frye & Dunstaple highlight the major repertory
involved, but these sorts of thematic programs also allow the
inclusion of various stylistic oddball pieces from the era, which
does help to illuminate the basic musical questions being considered
at the time, i.e. beyond the larger outputs that came to involve
more influence on subsequent generations. (My comment or question
regarding the performances themselves actually involves sustain:
I'm starting to get the impression that the voices are too active,
and should be letting the resonances "hang in the air" a
bit more, i.e. without forcing the vocal cords.)
The Frye mass
cycle here, also on the St. Katherine theme, hadn't been recorded
previously, as far as I know, but they chose not to highlight that
aspect: There have been a few single album productions devoted to
Frye over the years, but no one has taken the plunge to record his
entire output (which would fit on two CDs, if my calculations are
correct), which I find kind of curious at this point. (Ciconia
sports two complete 3CD editions, for instance.) Perhaps Frye's
larger forms haven't been compelling enough for that, versus his
popular shorter works, but one might compare his masses e.g. to
those of Faugues in terms of basically elaborating song forms into
longer movements.... More significantly, though (given his
reputation), Dunstaple has even fewer dedicated programs from the
CD era, and there's been little in the way of a systematic view of
his output so far. Isn't it about time for a Complete Dunstaple?
And how about a related program focusing on the late English
isorhythmic motet per se? (But then, I guess I usually return to
technical, rather than thematic, questions....)
[15.7.2019]