This is probably the most rounded and successfully varied anthology of late-fourteenth- and early-fifteenth-century songs that I have listened to. Recently there have been several fine recordings of secular music from this period – a relief to those who feel that this area has suffered relative neglect in comparison to sacred genres. This collection spans a range of styles – from Solage at his weirdest (the famous Fumeux fume, sung here at a very slow tempo that is surprisingly effective) to Binchois at his most melancholy (Ay douloureux) and Dufay in his sprightly, May Day mode – and includes a number of light pastoral or genre pieces, jocose or slightly scurrilous: Pastourelle en un vergier is an example of the ballade form at its liveliest and most direct. As a cross-section of expressive registers and attitudes, it is a very astute and intelligent piece of programming.
Equally impressive is the variety of interpretative approaches, and the polish with which each is carried off. There is great discrimination in the use of instruments (certainly as compared with some of Alla Francesca’s previous recordings). The astonishing artistry of the flautist and recorder player Pierre Hamon is as conspicuous as ever (Par maintes foys), but the individual singers are also given greater chance to shine individually and (most importantly) the two agendas no longer compete with each other. This is the place to mention Brigitte Lesne, whose distinctive but perfectly controlled vibrato is a singing-lesson in itself; and the scarcely less individual timbre of Emmanuel Bonnardot, restrained yet intense. Both are heard in Adieu, jusques je vous revoye. Even as straightforward a piece as Pastourelle en un vergier is fastidiously shaped, yet without the least bit of fuss. This awareness of the importance of detail is evident in the treatment of the texts, which in others’ performances are all too often regarded as secondary. In all cases, they are responded to imaginatively, with a clear understanding of the intention, and the structural integrity of the poetic form (both literary and musical) is respected. Thus, it is easier to engage with the music on the many levels present both between and within pieces. Yet as I have said, nearly every piece is approached in a different way: no mean feat with 22 works on offer.
I will close (as does the disc) with the magical Je vous pri, on paper a slight enough piece, but here deeply intelligent and compellingly expressive – adjectives that apply to these interpretations as well. I have been reviewing quite a few discs in recent months, but this is one to which I’ll be returning.'