Ockeghem, Johannes (1410/25-1497)

[Lat-Literal]

The most famous composer of the Franco-Flemish School in the last half of the 15th century, often thought to be the most influential composer between Dufay and Josquin des Prez.

Hillyard Ensemble - Missa Prolationum & Marian Motets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K1jMnI1w2A

[Mandryka]

The new recording by Sollazzo Ensemble, Leuven Chansonnier 2, contains a song by Ockeghem called Les desloyaux (desloyaulx) ont leur saison. They treat it as a piece for instruments only. In the booklet we read

In Les desloyaux, for
example, the power of the alta capella is countered by the use of a lute that
asserts itself by filling its discourse with melodic ornamentation; I realised that
this was a perfectly adequate instrumental manner of depicting the emotion
inherent in the piece: incisive and rebellious dispute.

I have a recording of it with voice by Medieval Ensemble of London. Their treatment of it is rather antithetical to Anna Danilevskaia's. I mean, not so incisive and rebellious, more sad. Here's the text so you can decide for yourself who is more convincing.

Les desloyaulx ont la saison
Et des bons nesun ne tient conte
Mays bon droit de trop se mesconte
De souffrir si grant desraison
Je ne scay a quelle achoison
Fortune sihault les monte
Les desloyaulx [...]
Pour parler de prince ne maison
Ce me seroit reprouche [et] honte
Pour ce men teys mays fin de compte
Tout va sans rime [et] sans raison


The disloyal are in season
and no one takes account of the good,
but Legitimate Right makes a terrible mistake
by permitting such great unreason.
I do not know for what occasion
Fortune raises them up so high.
The disloyal […]
For me to speak of a prince or noble house
would be to earn reproach and shame:
therefore I keep silent, but in the end
everything happens without rhyme or reason

I just found a performance of it on this CD a sort of midpoint between Sollazzo and Medieval Ensemble of London.

[Joseph K]

I am quite fond of his Requiem, which in certain respects hearkens back to Medieval music.

[Mandryka]

I am quite fond of his Requiem, which in certain respects hearkens back to Medieval music.

It does sound medieval, and to me (speaking nonsense gleaned from superficial listening to performances) it doesn't sound like anything else by Ock. Someone once said to me that scholars dispute that it's by Ockeghem, the suggestion was that some of them claim that the music known as Ockeghem's Requiem is in fact the famous missing Dufay Requiem.

[cloughie]

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