Figures of Harmony

Presented in a stylish 4-CD box set, here is a comprehensive recording of one of the most enigmatic manuscripts in the history of European music, preserved in the museum at the Château de Chantilly, France.

‘Anything that can be sung, can be written in music notation’, claimed an anonymous treatise on notation in the late fourteenth century. The harmonies thus ‘captured’ on parchment represent an apex in Western music, associated with the wealthiest courts in Christendom, called ‘decadent’ by some. Various elements of improvisation – avant-garde dissonance, astonishing rhythmic complexity, arching, lyrical melisma – meld into musical forms which test the boundaries of late Gothic sensibilities.

Here are love songs for the End of the World: a time of deadly plague, devastating earthquakes, endless war, disintegrating religion, and the explosion of science and measurement.

CD 1: Balades a III chans de Johan Robert "Trebor" & al.

Johan Robert:
1. Helas pitié envers moy dort si fort
2. Si Alexandre et Hector fussent en vie

Baude Cordier:
3. Tout par compas suy composés (instrumental)

Anon:
4. Adieu vous di, tres doulce compaynie

? Matteo de Perugia:
5. Rondeau-refrain (instrumental)
6. Pres du soloil deduissant s'esbanoye

Antonio da Cividale:
7. Io vegio per stasone (instrumental)
Anon:
8. Lamech Judith et Rachel de plourer
9. Le mont Aon de Thrace, doulz pais

Magister Grimace:
10. Se Zephirus, Phebus et leur lignie

Performers:
Lena Susanne Norin (alto), Kathleen Dineen (soprano), Stephen Grant (baritone), Randall Cook (fiddle), Norihisa Sugawara (fiddle, lute), Debra Gomez (harp), Crawford Young (lute, guitar)

CD 2: Fleurs de vertus - Chansons subtiles à la fin du XIVè siècle
 
Johannes Suzoy, MS Chantilly 564, f.30v:
1. Pictagoras Jabol et Orphëus (alto, baryton, ténor)

Solage, MS Chantilly 564, f.36:
2. S'aincy estoit que ne feust que la noblesse (alto, viola d'arco, luth)

Anon., D-Nst9:
3. Bobik blazen (psalterion, harpe, luth)

Gacian Rayneau, MS Chantilly 564, f.56v:
4. Va t'en mon cuer, aveuc mes yeux (soprano, baryton, ténor)

Johan Robert, MS Chantilly 564, f.43:
5. Se July Cesar, Rolant et roy Artus (soprano, ténor, viola d'arco)

Johan Robert, MS Chantilly 564, f.21v:
6. En seumeillant m'avint une vision (ténor, baryton, viola d'arco)

Johannes Alanus, I-Bc Q15, f.225v-226, 342v:
7. Sub Arturo plebs vallata (2 dolce melos, luth)

Philipoctus de Caserta, MS Chantilly 564, f.45v
8. Par les bons Gedeon et Sanson délivré (alto, ténor, viola d'arco)

Anon., MS Chantilly 564, f.47v:
9. En Albion de fluns environée (soprano, alto, baryton, ténor, viola d'arco)

Solage, MS Chantilly 564, f.18:
10. Tres gentil cuer (luth)

Philipoctus de Caserta, MS Chantilly 564, f.38v
11. Il n'est nulz homs en ce monde vivant (baryton, ténor, luth)

Performers:
Ferrara Ensemble: Lena Susanne Norin (alto), Kathleen Dineen (soprano, harp), Eric Mentzel (tenor), Stephen Grant (baritone), Karl Heinz Schickhaus (dolce melos), Randall Cook (viola d'arco), Norihisa Sugawara (lute), Ralf Mattes (psalterion, dolce melos), Crawford Young (lute)] - Crawford Young, dir.

CD 3: En doulz chastel de PavieChansons à la cour des Visconti, 1400

Philipoctus de Caserta (Mod., f.26v):
1. De ma doulour

Johannes Ciconia (Lucca, f.54v):
2. La fiamma del to amor (instrumental)

Jacob Senleches (Chic., f.10):
3. La harpe de mélodie

Anon. (Lo., f.56v-57):
4. Istanpitta Isabella (instrumental)

Philipoctus de Caserta (Mod., f.34v-35):
5. En remirant

Johannes Ciconia (Perguia, f.83):
6. Le ray au soleyl

Anon. (Lo., f.74) / Cook:
7. Chanconeta tedescha (instrumental)

Johannes Ciconia (Mod., f.27v-28):
8. Sus une fontayne

Anon. (Fa., f.62v-63):
9. Constantia (instrumental)

Anon. (Lo., f.74) / Young:
10. Chanconeta tedescha (instrumental)

Philipoctus de Caserta (Mod., f.20):
11. En attendant souffrir

Performers:
Lena Susanne Norin (alto), Eric Mentzel (tenor), Stephen Grant (baritone), Randall Cook (vielle), Crawford Young (gittern), Marion Fourquier (harp)

CD 4: Corps femeninL'avant-garde de Jean Duc de Berry
Rodericus:
1. Angelorum psalat tripudium (2 voices)

Anon.:
2. Principio di virtu (gittern)

Senleches:
3. Fuions de ci fuions povre compaigne (voice, fiddle, harp)

Guido:
4. Or voit tout en aventure (dulcimer, lute)

Trebor:
5. Passerose de beauté la noble flour (voice, 2 fiddles)

Anon.:
6. Medee fu en amer veritable (voice, 2 fiddles)

Senleches:
7. Tel me voit et me regarde (2 voices, harp)

Trebor:
8. Quant joyne cuer en may est amoureux (voice, fiddle, lute)

Solage:
9. Corps femenin par vertu de nature (harp, gittern)
10. Calextone qui fut dame darouse (2 voices, lute)

Anon.
11.Passerose flours excellente (dulcimer, lute)

Magister Egidius Augustinus:
12.Roses et lis ay veu en une flour (voice, 2 fiddles)

Performers:
Ferrara Ensemble, Miriam Andersen (mezzosoprano, harp), Masako Art (harp), Randall Cook (fiddle), Raitis Grigalis (baritone), Els Janssens (mezzosoprano), Eve Kopli (soprano), Jessica Marshall (fiddle), Eric Mentzel (tenor), Lena-Susanne Norin (alto), Karl-Heinz Schickhaus (dulcimer), Crawford Young (gittern, lute, dir.)