Banquet du Voeu

Le Banquet du Voeu, 1454
Music at the Court of Burgundy
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Virgin Classics 91441
Virgin Veritas 59043

Reissued in Virgin Veritas 45337 (2 CDs) & Virgin Veritas 61818 (2 CDs)

Contents:

  1. Vide: Et c'est assez (shawm, bagpipes)
  2. Binchois?: Adieu ma tres belle maistresse (voice, harp)
  3. Anon: Une foys avant que morir (recorder, harp, vielle, lute)
  4. Wilhelmus Legrant (organ)
  5. Dufay: Ave regina celorum (3 voices)
  6. Anon: Au chant de l'alowette (bagpipes)
  7. Binchois: Je ne vis onques la pareille (2 voices)
  8. Frye: Ave regina celorum (3 recorders)
  9. Binchois: Vostre tres doulx regart (voice, harp)
  10. Binchois: Gloria, laus et honor (4 voices)
  11. Grenon: Je ne requier de ma dame (2 recorders)
  12. Dufay: Je me complains pitieusement (3 voices)
  13. Anon: Ellend du hast (organ)
  14. Binchois: untexted chanson (3 vielles)
  15. Fontaine: Pour vous tenir (2 voices, recorder, 2 vielles, lute)
  16. Anon: Du cuer je soupire (2 recorders)
  17. Binchois: Seule esgaree (2 voices, vielle)
  18. Anon: Venise (recorder, harp)
  19. Vide: Il m'est si grief (2 voices, vielle)
  20. Anon: Preambulum super re (organ)
  21. Binchois: Deo gracias (4 voices)

Performers: Anne-Marie Lablaude (voice), Brigitte Lesne (voice, harp), Catherine Joussellin (voice, vielle), Akira Tachikawa (voice), Emmanuel Bonnardot (voice, vielle), Dominique Vellard (voice, lute), Philippe Balloy (voice), Pierre Hamon (recorder, bagpipe), Pierre Boragno (recorder), Randall Cook (vielle, recorder, shawm), Georges Lartigau (organ)

Playing time: 60'

Recording date: December 1989

Reviewed in:
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.): 15/2- (Nov/Dec 1991)

The Feast of the Pheasant (Banquet du Voeu) was a famous dinner given by Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy in 1454 in preparation for another crusade (which never happened). The feast incorporated music, and a few of the selections above are known to have been specifically performed there. This recording presents a wonderful introduction to the music of the time.

Along with several of the impressive songs of this era, this program includes various pieces in other genres, including brief sacred pieces and lighter items.

A very similar program:

Joan of Arc
Music and Chants from the XVth Century
Amadis Ensemble - Catherine Joussellin
Jade 71067

A recording in related style devoted to a similarly mixed program of closely related music in Italy during this period:

Musica del XV Secolo in Italia
Ensemble Ars Italica - Sigrid Lee / Francis Biggi / Marco Ferrari
Tactus 400001

A reissue of a classic program of similar music, in a performance style which helped to set the stage for the present ensemble:

Music at the Burgundian Court
Dufay, Ockeghem, Obrecht
Pro Musica Antiqua - Safford Cape
Vanguard Everyman 08 6124 71

A recording featuring the dance music which makes a part of the present program:

La Danse à la Cour des Ducs de Bourgogne
La Maurache - Julien Skowron
Arion 68052

A recording devoted the "loud" wind music of this era as illustrated so well in the present selection:

Gothic Winds
Ensemble Les haulz et les bas
Christophorus 77193

A program by an ensemble related to the present one, leading to Dufay & Binchois songs via those of the generation which preceded them:

Beauté parfaite
L'Automne du Moyen Age - Chansons des XIVe et XVe siècles
Alla Francesca
Opus 111 30-173

Finally, a recording from the broader era, focusing on the theme of feasting:

Bread, Wine & Song
Music & Feasting in Renaissance Europe
Orlando Consort
Harmonia Mundi USA 907314

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Todd M. McComb