This is an exciting disc, for a number of reasons. The so-called Canonici manuscript in the Bodleian Library was first noticed just over a century ago, and since then it has engaged the attention of countless scholars. With over 300 items, it is one of the most wide-ranging witnesses to the music of the early fifteenth century; as such, it is one of those sources that deserves a CD all to itself. It says much for its importance that without it, Dufay’s extant secular output would be cut virtually in half, and Binchois would be similarly affected. As the best-represented composer in the manuscript, Dufay gets the lion’s share in this programme as well (though sadly, Binchois goes unrepresented despite running a strong second). Naturally, the Hilliard Ensemble can present only a tiny fraction of what is on offer, but their choice of pieces is admirable, and on the strength of the programme alone, this disc deserves the highest recommendation. Admirable, too, is the Hilliards’ flexibility: the four-voice pieces (Par droit and Je me complains, both by Dufay) entail extremes of range for all four singers, negotiated with consummate ease; and the exquisite ballata O spirito gentil (by the ineffably named Prepositus Brixiensis) exemplifies all that is best here. Elsewhere, one can point to a few rough edges, the odd fluffed note; but for the most part the Hilliards’ accustomed dexterity is equal to just about everything.
The Hilliards follow current fashion (and their own exigencies) in presenting the music with voices alone, but the decision to text all the voices all the time strikes me as odd. It seems perfectly natural to do so in syllabic pieces like the opening J’atendray tant; but others call just as clearly for wordless vocalization. The alternatives (splitting up notes to accommodate text or cutting out words or syllables altogether) seem counter-intuitive, and clutter the texture unnecessarily. In matters of detail, too, the use of the unrevised Besseler edition of Dufay’s songs introduces solecisms that could easily have been avoided. Nevertheless, this is one of the most ambitious recitals of the repertory to appear in quite some time. The informative notes complement the programme sympathetically.'