A real surprise for you all today. Normally, I do not post early, early music but this issue from 1950 on the EMS label (213) is a stunner and I could not resist. American Safford Cape leads his Pro Musica Antiqua Brussels in secular vocal and instrumental music of the great master Josquin des Prez.
The EMS Record label had its origins in a New York City music shop called Elaine Music Shop. The brainchild of owner Jack Skurnick, it had an ambitious goal of creating a series of lp's that would chronicle the history of music, new trends in music, and the development of the art song. About a dozen releases were made and they were acclaimed for the recording quality and performances alike. Unfortunately, the series ceased with the demise of Mr Skurnick, about two years after the project began. I would say Mr Skurnick was a visionary.
The early music set of records was dominated by Safford Cape and his Pro Musica Antiqua. These records were so well received at the time that when EMS ceased operations, Cape and his group migrated to Archiv to continue on their survey of late medieval and renaissance recordings. Critics have noted that Cape's best work was on the EMS records and I would have to concur. Not only does he lift the music off of the score but he and his artists craft so tastefully the genius of Josquin in a way that is wholly appropriate to the spirit of period performance. The singing and playing here sounds so right and is so immaculate that the listening experience is pure and utter joy. The music is absolutely first rate, inventive, engaging and luscious.
Here's the program:
- N'esse pas un grant desplaisir (6 instr.)
- Parfons regretz (5 voices)
- Bergerette savoyenne (4 voices)
- Fortuna d'un gran tempo (3 viols)
- Douleur me bat (5 voices)
- Pour souhaiter (6 instr.)
- Faulte d'argent (5 voices)
- Petite Camusette (6 instr.)
- Incessamment mon povre coeur lamente (1 voice, 4 instr.)
- Je me complains de mon amoye (5 voices)
- La plus des plus (3 viols)
- Allégez-moi (6 instr.)
- La Déploration de Johannes Ockeghem (5 voices)
- Baises-moy (4 voices and instr.)
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This is very exciting!! I've enjoyed Pro Musica's later (mid-50s) records but they are a bit preachy at times; so I'm intrigued by your comments on how much better this is. Really looking forward to this - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteI like very much this music and I am a great admirer of Safford Cape. I remember an old DG Archiv LP called "Music of the Minstrels" with a collection of secular dances an a great version of Adam de la Halle's Jeu de Robin et Marion. It was one of my very favorite early music recordings.
Yes, this is a most excellent and interesting record, thank you. Somehow I have bought two copies! It seems to be one of Cape's commoner EMS ones. Amazing to think that the group's fine contralto, Jeanne Deroubaix, went on to record a seminal version of Boulez' Le marteau sans maître!
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