Document

  1995
    February 1995
        Choral and Song
                French Chansons.

French [Chanson] Chansons The Scholars of London.

Naxos (Super budget price) (CD) 8 550880 (60 minutes: DDD). Texts and translations included.

Arcadelt: En ce mois delicieux: Margot, labourez les vignes: De temps que j'estois amoureux: Sa grand beaute. Bertrand: De nuit, le bien. Clemens Non Papa: Priere devant le repas; Action des Graces. Costeley: Arrete un peu mon coeur. Gombert: Aime qui vouldra: Quand je suis aupres. Janequin: Le chant des oiseaux. Or vien ca, vien, m'amye. Josquin Desprez: Faulte d'argent. Mille regretz. Lassus: Beau le cristal. Bon jour mon coeur. Un jeune moine. La nuict froide et sombre. Si je suis brun. Le Jeune: Ce n'est que fiel. Passereau: Il est bel et bon. Sandrin: Je ne le croy. Sermisy: Tant que vivray en eage florissant. Venez, regrets. La, la Maistre Pierre. Tabourot: Belle qui tiens ma vie. Vassal: Vray Dieu.

Anthologies of the French chanson on CD are surprisingly thin on the ground. Many collections focus on one or two outstanding composers, but in so doing they overlook a crucial facet of the genre as a whole. Listening to this carefully crafted selection, one is struck by the flexibility of a style that accommodates so many distinctive temperaments—the verve of Janequin. the suavity of Sermisy, the gravity of Gombert. It is a democratic genre in the truest sense, appealing to the great (Josquin and Lassus) while permitting lesser figures to shine as well. The term 'democratic' also describes the chanson's appeal, then as now: here are some of the most beguiling tunes of any period.

To call these performances unobtrusive is to do them no injustice. The Scholars of London (who make their debut with Naxos) capture the wistful elegance of the courtlier pieces—for example. Le Jeune's Ce n'est que fiel. In some of the more scurrilous songs (such as Josquin's Faulte d'argent) there is a Gallic rambunctiousness reminiscent of the Ensemble Clement Janequin—but at times the tempos are a shade too brisk for comfort. and the choice of pitch-standard in Janequin's famous Chant des oiseaux (sung here in its through-composed version) sets a strain on the singers' accustomed agility. But such details merely affect the odd piece. I, for one, will return to this disc with great pleasure: like ephemera trapped in amber. the music in this collection bears modest yet touching testimony to a period that produced much 'great' music. Its smaller creations are no less admirable.

FF



		Anthologies of the French chanson on CD are surprisingly thin on the ground. Many collections focus on one or two outstanding composers, but in so doing they overlook a crucial facet of the genre as a whole. Listening to this carefully crafted selection, one is struck by the flexibility of a style that accommodates so many distinctive temperaments—the verve of Janequin. the suavity of Sermisy, the gravity of Gombert. It is a democratic genre in the truest sense, appealing to the great (Josquin and Lassus) while permitting lesser figures to shine as well. The term 'democratic' also describes the chanson's appeal, then as now: here are some of the most beguiling tunes of any period.



		To call these performances unobtrusive is to do them no injustice. The Scholars of London (who make their debut with Naxos) capture the wistful elegance of the courtlier pieces—for example. Le Jeune's Ce n'est que fiel. In some of the more scurrilous songs (such as Josquin's Faulte d'argent) there is a Gallic rambunctiousness reminiscent of the Ensemble Clement Janequin—but at times the tempos are a shade too brisk for comfort. and the choice of pitch-standard in Janequin's famous Chant des oiseaux (sung here in its through-composed version) sets a strain on the singers' accustomed agility. But such details merely affect the odd piece. I, for one, will return to this disc with great pleasure: like ephemera trapped in amber. the music in this collection bears modest yet touching testimony to a period that produced much 'great' music. Its smaller creations are no less admirable.