Busnois: Mass / Motets / Chansons

Busnois: Missa "O crux lignum" / Motets / Chansons
Orlando Consort
Harmonia Mundi USA 907333 [CD]
Harmonia Mundi HMA 195 7333 [CD]

Contents:

  1. Motet: Gaude caelestis Domina
  2. Chanson: A une damme j'ay fait veu
  3. Chanson: Amours nous traitte honnestement / Je m'en voy
  4. Chanson-Motet: Resjois-toy, terre de France / Rex pacificus
  5. Hymn: Conditor alme siderum
  6. Missa O Crux lignum: Kyrie
  7. Missa O Crux lignum: Gloria
  8. Missa O Crux lignum: Credo
  9. Missa O Crux lignum: Sanctus
  10. Missa O Crux lignum: Benedictus
  11. Missa O Crux lignum: Agnus Dei
  12. Chanson: Ja que li ne s'i attende
  13. Chanson: Vostre beauté / Vous marchez du bout du pié
  14. Chanson: Est-il merchy de quoy on pueut finer?
  15. Motet: Incomprehensibilia / Praeter rerum ordinem

Performers: Robert Harre-Jones (countertenor), Mark Dobell (tenor), Angus Smith (tenor), Donald Greig (baritone)

Playing time: 63'

Recording date: November 2003 (St. Mary's Parish Church)

Excerpts:
[1] Harmonia Mundi "Century" HMX 290 8169 [CD] A History of Music, vol. 7: Du style gothique à la Pré-Renaissance / From gothic to Pre-Renaissance (1370-1460) - Ars Subtilior / Dawn of the Renaissance

Antoine Busnoys (c.1430-1492) was one of the greatest of the Franco-Flemish composers, and is considered one of the most accomplished chanson writers of the later 15th century (approximately 65 surviving chansons). His smaller (established) sacred output (14 surviving works in Latin) was also quite significant in its time.

The spelling "Busnoys" has sometimes been adopted as more idiomatic than the previously-used "Busnois."

Tracks #1, #4 & #15 are conjectural attributions to Busnois.

Some other major recordings devoted to mass cycles (likely) by Busnois:

Busnoys: In hydraulis & other works
Pomerium - Alexander Blachly
Dorian 90184
Busnois: L'homme armé
Cantica Symphonia - Giuseppe Maletto
Glossa 31906
Antoine Busnois
Kapel van de Lage Landen - Harry van der Kamp
Emergo Classics 3954
Busnois: Missa L'homme armé / Domarto: Missa Spiritus almus
Binchois Consort - Andrew Kirkman
Hyperion 67319

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Todd M. McComb