Early Music on Record Review

[ardcarp]

Doversoul always used to give us a nudge about what was coming up on RR. This post is retrospective, I'm afraid, but for anyone who loves the Dufay/Ockeghem period of Early Music, do have a listen to this:


Johannes Ockeghem
Aultre Venus estes sans faille
Choir: Blue Heron. Conductor: Scott Metcalfe

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000cz03

(about 13mins 30sec from start)


It is a chanson, and was beautifully (really beautifully) sung by a soprano and baritone. I was puzzled though. A harp was playing (obviously not prescribed by Ockeghem) and it seemed sometimes to be supplying a third part...including the occasion sharpened fourth of a 'Burgundian' cadence...by also sometimes being a sort of continuo-style filler, a concept not known at the time. Apparently there is some scholarly explanation in the accompanying CD booklet, but AMcG didn't see fit to enlarge on this. Does anyone know about this practice, or indeed about Blue Heron?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This might be (I haven't viewed it yet ) useful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDfsCkrmySI

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This might be useful:

It wasn't much - more a "fluff" for the new recording than informative. Still - it does suggest that the harp accompaniment is for the two-part songs only: the three & more voice chansons are a capella. Perhaps the booklet gives more information?

Sounds like a very attractive disc of one of the most important composers after Dunstaple.

[ardcarp]

Thanks for the clip Ferney. Agreed, largely promotional...though they do seem rather good! I'm still totally baffled by what the harp part is doing in the two-part songs though. Is is purely conjectural? Put in for scholarly reasons, or just to make the package more attractive? On a lighter note, may I recommend to anyone who like me has had a 'Christmas cold', saying Ockeghem a few times seems to clear the nose and throat.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... though they do seem rather good!

- I'll certainly be buying a copy.

On a lighter note, may I recommend to anyone who like me has had a 'Christmas cold', saying Ockeghem a few times seems to clear the nose and throat.

- and <yeuk>!

[Andy Freude]

I was puzzled though. A harp was playing (obviously not prescribed by Ockeghem) and it seemed sometimes to be supplying a third part.

According to Wikipedia, this chanson Aultre Venus estes, sans faille was written for three voices. I'm not sure, but reading an article entitled Instruments at the Court of Burgundy (1363-1467) instruments (the list included harps) were used to accompany secular chansons. Perhaps the CD notes explain whether performance practice was either replacing one voice part with an instrumental, or simply to add an instrumental accompaniment even if the composer hadn't written one.

[ardcarp]

Thanks Andy. That explains a lot. Can you direct me to the article?

[Quarky]

....Hannah French gave a most entertaining and varied presentation yesterday (just after the ice cream vans).....

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Thanks Andy. That explains a lot. Can you direct me to the article?

This one?

https://www.jstor.org/stable/841716?seq=1

(You need a JSTOR account - accessible in many Public Libraries - to read the full article.)