The Passion of Reason

Res Musice: The Passion of Reason
The Sour Cream Legacy
Frans Brüggen / Kees Boeke / Walter van Hauwe
Glossa "Nouvelle Vision" 921102 (2 CDs)

Previously issued as: Attacca Babel 9682/83

Contents:

  1. Machaut: Ma fin est mon commencement
  2. Machaut: Hoquetus David
  3. Machaut: Sanz cuer m'en vois
  4. Solage: Fumeux, fume par fumee
  5. Brumel: Tandernack
  6. Thomas Preston: Upon La Mi Re
  7. Cornysh: Fa La Sol
  8. Cornysh: Catholicon a
  9. Cornysh: Catholicon b
  10. Fayrfax: That was my woe
  11. Tye: Sit fast
  12. Bedyngham: Salva Jesu
  13. Anon., Baldwin MS: Kyrie
  14. Anon., Baldwin MS: Kyrie a
  1. Anon., Baldwin MS: Kyrie b
  2. Anon., Baldwin MS: Kyrie
  3. Nathaniel Giles: Salvator Mundi
  4. Preston: O Lux
  5. William Newark: The farther I go
  6. Isaac: Fortuna desperata
  7. Isaac: La Morra
  8. Isaac: Si dormiero
  9. Johann Walter: Canon
  10. Jannequin: L'Alouette
  11. Trebor: En seumeillant
  12. J.S. Bach - Boeke: Eclipse
  13. Bach: 4 Goldberg-Canons
  14. Bach: Canon by augmentation

Performers: Frans Brüggen (recorders), Walter van Hauwe (recorders), Kees Boeke (recorders, viol), Toyohiko Satoh (lute), Isabel Álvarez (mezzo-soprano - tracks CD1#10, CD2#5,11)

Playing time: 115'

Recording dates: June 1993 (Arezzo, Italy) & July 1994 (Netherlands); original issue: 1996; reissue on Glossa: late 1997

Excerpts:
[12] Valley Entertainment VLEC 15 024 The best of Millenium of Music -Behold and See

This is a lavish production, featuring interesting philosophical speculations and intriguing historical quotes. The primary ensemble used is three recorders, and in many cases the transcription is a free one, beginning immediately with the opening fade into Machaut's famous palindrome rondeau. The approach to pitch is also innovative at times.

This is a thought-provoking release. It is a very strongly nuanced example of the sort of interpretation which can be achieved from individual sources. With what is in some ways a very straight-forward arrangement of the music, many personal ideas shine forth.

The present CD specifically directs the reader to its web page (see purchase information), which goes so far to state that it remains a continuing project and will be updated regularly! An interesting idea.

A solo recording by Kees Boeke:

Monodia
Kees Boeke
Stradivarius 33570

Related programs featuring recorder:

Il Giardino dell'Amore
Musiche strumentali nell'Europa fra Medioevo e Rinascimento
Consort Fontegara
Bongiovanni 5532
En seumeillant
Trio Subtilior
La mà de guido 025
Cantio Triplex
Ensemble Diferencias - Conrad Steinmann
Divox Antiqua 79610
La Symétrie
Ensemble Flûte Harmonique
Ambitus 97947
Landscapes
Three centuries of world music
Encina / Brouwer / Ortiz / Bartók
David Bellugi et al.
Frame 9506
The Recorder
Four Centuries of Recorder Music
Pro Arte Recorder Ensemble of Argentina
Lyrichord 8030

Another "radical" program featuring Ars Subtilior music, this time on saxophones:

Saxophone - Ars Subtilior
Xasax - Marcus Weiss
Hat Art "Now" 107

Finally, an older recording featuring the present ensemble:

Henry VIII & La Musica Speculativa
Sour Cream
RCA "Red Line" 30438

There are historical photos on the web page referenced above.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb