Le Jeune: Meslanges

Le Jeune: Meslanges
Ensemble Clément Janequin / Ensemble Les Eléments - Dominique Visse
Harmonia Mundi musique d'abord 1901182

Contents:

  1. Que je porte d'envie (4 voices, 4 viols)
  2. Je ne m'élève icy (4 voices)
  3. First Fantasia (3 viols)
  4. Tu ne l'enten pas (4 voices, lute)
  5. Je ne me plain (4 voices, 4 viols)
  6. Susanne un jour (lute)
  7. Susanne un jour (7 voices, 5 viols)
  8. Le chant de l'Alouette (5 voices)
  9. Quell'eau quel air (4 voices)
  10. Second Fantasia (4 viols)
  11. Je voulu baiser ma rebelle (4 voices)
  12. Je suis déshéritée (6 voices, lute)
  13. Third Fantasia (5 viols)
  14. Allons, allons gay (5 voices)
  15. Debat la nostre trill' en may (4 voices, 4 viols, lute)
  16. Mais qui es-tu (6 voices, 4 viols)

Performers: Agnès Mellon, Dominique Visse, Gérard Lesne, Michel Laplénie, Philippe Cantor, Josep Cabré, Antoine Sicot (voices), Claude Debôves (lute), Ariane Maurette, Marianne Müller, Nanneke Schaap, Anne-Marie Lasla, Sarah Cunningham (viols)

Playing time: 55'

Recording date: May 1985

Excerpts:
[6], [7] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 8016.20 Musique de la Renaissance Music - L'Europe Musicale au XVe et XVIe siècles

This recording includes some of Le Jeune's earliest chansons, as well as the three fabulous viol fantasias from later in his life. The latter are among the high points (together with those of Du Caurroy) of the relatively small French viol consort literature.

The songs are related to the contemporary French chanson on the surface, but the contrapuntal style is generally more intricate and often more original. Le Jeune's later publication of songs presents many of his compositions using the "musique mesurée a l'antique" ideas toward rhythm. While highly effective, these methods spread very little beyond Le Jeune and the immediate circle of Anthoine de Baïf.

A recording from this time period devoted to a Protestant contemporary:

L'Estocart: Octonaires de la vanité du monde
Ensemble Clément Janequin - Dominique Visse
Harmonia Mundi musique d'abord 1901110

And a program featuring both of these composers:

Inconstance et Vanité du Monde
Musique aux cours de France et de Savoie en 1601
Anne Quentin et al.
Astrée 8814

Finally an old recording devoted to a Le Jeune fantasia:

Le Jeune: Seconde Fantaisie
Ensemble Orchestral de l'Oiseau-Lyre - Roger Désormière
L'Oiseau-Lyre 157 (78rpm)

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb