Although motets were often Josquin's most historically praised pieces, including in twentieth century scholarship, the mass cycles are also individually distinctive (despite their generally common texts), and at this point, seem to present a relatively "curated" selection within his oeuvre. In other words, he seems to have been writing these pieces for posterity (& they did lead off music publishing with Petrucci...), and so chronologies are difficult in part because they were revised at different times. Or perhaps not, as Josquin's career remains mysterious in various ways.... In any case, though, these cycles can be very different, addressing different traditions within the history of mass composition — or (at least prospectively) creating others. And in the past, writers have chosen to emphasize e.g. the plainchant-based austerity of some of the late masses, that direction having marked continuity into the Counter-Reformation, but it doesn't appear at this point that Josquin really had such a singular focus. Rather, he did write some more austere & chiseled cycles around plainchant, but he also wrote a variety of other settings, a selection spanning his influences & inspirations. And he was indeed apparently trying to "make a statement" in most of these individual works.
And these Tallis Scholars readings of the complete masses — complete per at least some scholarly consensus, not without its disagreements — have been the most prominent here in the early 21st century. However, I must immediately disclaim the first two issues from the 1980s, as not being worthwhile! (These albums adopt outdated & eccentric approaches to the music. It's a mystery why Phillips didn't re-record these cycles in his 21st century survey.... I've also declined to link them above.) And there're still comments out there, including some apparently originating with me decades ago, that do cast doubts on the Tallis Scholars series as a whole, based on those earlier performance decisions. I also want to wave off those associations: The later recordings, starting with that of the Missa Sine nomine (which was named my EM Record of the Year for 2008, i.e. more than twenty years after the first release...), all offer strong readings, albeit some more compelling than others.
(I should probably also state clearly that I've combined these separate album releases into one file here, both for the purposes of a more compact presentation on the main page, and so as to facilitate a more general discussion in this space. As of this writing, there's no "box set" release of the series available, though. Moreover, there're generally no recording dates given, so it's possible that these albums were recorded closer to the same time, and not so much recently. I don't know, although the later interpretations do become richer in details, not that that necessarily suggests a number of years in between.... There's also the issue of inserting so many track breaks into these cycles, which can make them cumbersome to add to a playlist. The additional information implied with the latter might be appealing to some listeners, I suppose, but the lack of documentary chronological information will always seem to be a flaw in these productions for me. I've noted the year of release for each individual album above, though.... And finally, in the quirks department, there're the enforced silences to open the albums: This seems like pure vanity.)
But the Tallis Scholars renditions are generally extrovert readings, and emphasize clarity. Indeed, the latter is the main feature here, with the group having taken the most time & effort (at least to these ears...) to bring out the most details in these masses: Josquin's writing, in most of his cycles, is full of a variety of filigree detail, i.e. ubiquitous in the kind of "connecting tissue" that makes up the "musical stuff" of the movements — and which Josquin infuses with a variety of reinforcing connections & provocations. As noted, the genesis of some of these masses appears (or so I'm now suggesting...) to have occurred over decades, and the level of incremental detail is consequently large. Every reading seems to turn over more connections & small musical delights, and the Tallis Scholars under Phillips are simply the farthest along in this process, hence producing the most detailed readings of these masses, particularly in their later albums. E.g. rhythm & tempo relations are also rendered clearly & precisely: The group has obviously put a (welcome) premium on keeping things crisp & in time, i.e. with no rhythmic interpolations etc.
General criticisms of these later releases in the series, then, largely revolve around issues of vocal technique, with the Tallis Scholars adopting the modern approach to breath support that's common in this repertory & beyond, as well as women in the top lines (sometimes making for a relatively shrill blend, but not always). In this, they're not following e.g. ideas on "modal singing" or the like, but are generally projecting a strong tone. (Note that this is not modern singing in the sense of vibrato etc., but rather that the specific "early music voice" has been identified as an English Restoration creation.... The latter also invokes a sense of "angelic tone," but thankfully the Tallis Scholars have adopted a relatively closer & more robust articulation.) Their textual articulation is also especially clear, involving little trills & other details by the end of the series that can really brighten the words & lines.... Indeed, it's a "bright" sound in general, although also earthier than some Renaissance groups.
The series also features masses of high interest for basically every issue. In fact, there's generally one "major" mass on each album, and as noted, most of those are unique masterpieces. Thus, I'm going to traverse the Tallis Scholars series (including the first two programs, only for this purpose), starting with the "main" mass on each:
Missa Pange lingua (a4): This mass, often austere & based closely on plainchant, but also employing strict counterpoint & other sophisticated techniques to harmonize the chant with itself, has long been considered one of Josquin's most prominent. (It apparently postdates the Petrucci publications.) Indeed it's suggestive of a style heralding the Counter-Reformation, as noted above, but provides a wealth of detail as well. And it continues to be popular with performers. This mass was recorded on the first Tallis Scholars album devoted to Josquin, though, and so as noted, the performance is not recommended.
Missa L'homme armé sexti toni (a4/6): Another early reading from the Tallis Scholars, the prominent L'homme armé masses lack a truly compelling presentation at the moment, although they've been recorded numerous times. (The Missa L'homme armé sexti toni is also placed second on the program, i.e. in what is the usually accepted chronology for this pair of masses, rather than first, as for the other masses named in this subsection....) This cycle truly transfigures the popular song — & note that different senses of "armed man" were always (apparently) implied — reworking it into a luminous, modal setting. While this piece doesn't appear to herald the sixteenth century, it does have to be considered as one of Josquin's central masterpieces, and (to the extent that this can be said at all...) characteristic of his style.
Missa Sine nomine (a4): As noted above, the recording of this mass restarted the Tallis Scholars series — & impressed me. Indeed, this mass cycle wasn't very well known previously, but is another amazing masterpiece of canonic variety, canons moving across a variety of part combinations while also woven differently through the texture. (There was a recording by Planchart from the 1960s, but this mass was rather little known when this recording appeared.) And here the Tallis Scholars do turn in a quality reading, at the time, a notably fine reading of a Josquin mass, incorporating a wide variety of details with clear articulation.... But as the earliest item in the restarted series, it also starts to be one of the more dated performances: It starts quite strongly, and I still prefer it, but it can become a bit stiff or saggy at times too.... This is also a case where there have been more recent recordings (i.e. in the other two "complete" mass series), and these do present different pictures of this subtly intricate & shifting cycle.
Missa Malheur me bat (a4/6): Similar comments apply here as in the previous two entries. Namely, the form of the mass presents it as something of a pair with the Missa L'homme armé sexti toni, in this case transfiguring an art song tenor (most often cited as by Malcort), again into a luminous setting, rich in contrapuntal insight. In some ways, this might be Josquin's most impressive & characteristic cycle. And again, like the Missa Sine nomine, the Tallis Scholars really brought it into my view with their recording. However, in this case, although the Missa Malheur me bat was relatively neglected in theoretical discussions, and thus had no early recordings, it did already attract attention by the early 2000s (e.g. by the Clerks Group, whose abortive Josquin series was in some ways a precursor to this one...), and so I probably should've taken more notice. And yet again, this is a cycle rich in detail, and so more recent interpretations start to bring out different aspects. Even within this series, this reading (which I still narrowly prefer...) can seem a bit overly steady, i.e. lacking phrasing subtlety & emphasis....
Missa de beata virgine (a4/5): This is another mass that was quite prominent in the 16th century, involving some of Josquin's finest & most elaborate counterpoint. It's also not "truly unified" as a cycle, as each movement is based on the individual plainchant for that movement. Between this & the move to 5-voice texture for the last three movements, there're also still suggestions that the cycle wasn't conceived as a cycle.... Increasingly, I don't believe it, or rather, if some of this (early?) material was drawn from previous activity, it was reintegrated quite well. In fact, Josquin seems to want to burst the container of a "unified cycle" per se, and so to create unity out of the mass "itself" via his contrapuntal approach.... I've consequently had some ambivalence regarding this mass, but have really come around to it: It's got (undeniably) great moments, but also innovates a new sort of unity. But per my ambivalence, I'd also dropped this entry from my "personal list" here, although that was about trying to inject more interpretive variety.... That said, the Tallis Scholars reading is actually very strong. This mass was recorded many times already, and they seem to have drawn widely from those experiences, producing a particularly clear & assertive version. (Once I disarticulate the mass programs, this becomes an easy item to recommend, again.)
Missa di dadi (a4): This probably hasn't been considered a major mass, but the Tallis Scholars rendition likewise established it for me. I appreciate the "different" approach to fortune in terms of the dice roll, for one. And then the cycle itself, apparently via years of work(?), is particularly polished. (It would be called Missa N'aray je jamais mieulx after the Morton chanson that gives it its cantus firmus, if not for the "dice" title. And it's worth recalling that Petrucci — & therefore Josquin? — went to some trouble to print this mass with the dice depicted....) Apparently the form can be taken as something of a study for Missa Pange lingua as well... although to rather different effect. The fact is, if this mass/performance came out for any of Josquin's peers, I'd be thinking it was a great piece, so I need to stick to that assessment here (& it's apparently Phillips' assessment as well?): As I said about it in the prior file here, this is an apex of motivic, rhythmic syncopation leading into grand climaxes (the latter being typical of Josquin...). And then the shortness of the motifs not only makes the "dice" manipulations conceivable, but leads to richly rhythmic counterpoint in turn. There's thus a sort of "recapping the 15th century" quality here that is quite sophisticated (dice rolls being just a setup...). I don't hear a similar coherence from the performances of the other mass cycle series, though. And this piece doesn't always scream "Josquin!" to me either — although the moments when it doesn't can also seem the most compelling.
Missa Gaudeamus (a4): This is another underrated mass that's just packed with musical connections. Some commentary considers it to be too busy, perhaps, but I think that's really a matter of articulation in performance.... And here the Tallis Scholars performance is both clearly the best available (in terms of details & articulation, as I keep saying...), and not as rich as it could be.... This might be the most "generic" disc in the restarted series. But it's still worthwhile, and this is one of Josquin's longest mass settings (an ostinato mass...), a "graduation" piece that presumably presents "learned" counterpoint as a result of education per se. It should be more festive than I hear so far....
Hercules Dux Ferrariae (a4/6): This is one of Josquin's best known & most virtuosic settings, some of his most brilliant part-writing surrounding a bland ostinato figure heralding the Duke.... It's also been recorded many times (including another quality rendition for the Anniversary), but this might be the Tallis Scholars' own most virtuosic & compelling performance. (Presumably that's why they chose to release this album last, in 2020, i.e. just prior to the Anniversary, despite that it's not the last in catalog order....) It can come off as a real showpiece, and with the great precision here, presents dazzling colors & rhythms. It's actually a relatively compact setting, but comes off with a lot of power too. I've resisted promoting this piece too much in the past, given its relatively superficial orientation, but this is an iconic cycle.
Missa Mater patris (a4/5): This relatively sparse, but extended, mass based on the relatively chordal Brumel motet was not one that'd caught my ear.... In fact, I found myself dismissing it as a work by Josquin. However, the reading by the Tallis Scholars really impressed me, and I now consider it to be among Josquin's most impressive works. That it "transforms" a sort of compact, chordal emphasis (as in some other Josquin masses, below...) into something more linearly (& spatially) expansive, via a sort of "chordal sequence" concept also makes it one of the most distinctive cycles of the era. (And it's not quite a parody mass, at least in later terms....) I'm not sure I "love" it through its various passages, i.e. the way I might glory in the more often traditional textures of the other masses, but it's become an iconic piece for me too. And while I can imagine preferring a less severe performance, I'll probably associate the piece with this reading for a while. (Yes, it does now seem like a piece by Josquin.)
So the masses above largely prompted me to recommend the individual albums noted farther above (i.e. beyond the nonexistent set per se...). But there are other items on each of these programs, some of high value, some of less.... A continuing rundown of the other masses involved (also in release order):
Missa La sol fa re mi (a4): This piece involves a pun with the solmization syllables, and is apparently actually a demand for payment (to which all musicians can relate...). It's that particular "decoding," occurring in the literature around the time, that seems to have brought a lot of attention to the Tallis Scholars reading (i.e. ironically marginalizing the Missa Pange lingua setting with which they open the program). But for me, this is a relatively compact & chordal mass, without a prominent history in Josquin's oeuvre, and e.g. not fully elaborated in its Agnus Dei. (And the elaboration of the last movement is probably the surest, admittedly superficial, indication of the gravity of any particular Josquin mass cycle....) Thus I don't really follow it individually. And certainly not via this reading.
Missa L'homme armé super voces musicales (a4): This is another of those cycles that seems to have been forged over decades.... And of course, it makes an obvious — & also compelling — pairing with the Missa L'homme armé sexti toni. But like the Missa di dadi, it also seems to be a compendium of 15th century style, wrapped in Josquin's increasingly detailed mastery. (In its canonic writing, it might also be compared to La Rue & his prominent early setting....) It's thus a "secondary" mass that I do value, particularly in its natural pairing. Again, though, I don't recommend the Tallis Scholars reading.
Missa ad fugam (a4): In many ways, this piece ends up seeming like a study for the Missa Sine nomine. It's more straightforward & more chordal (but did also, apparently, involve revision, to make it more compact...). This is the sort of piece that might have been exciting, if discovered in some other context, but within Josquin's output, it seems like a preliminary work.
Missa Fortuna desperata (a4): This is another piece that would've been received with considerable attention, if not for the existence of the more sophisticated Missa Malheur me bat, which likewise takes many of its procedures to another level.... In this case, the mass was also clearly inspired by Obrecht's cycle, one of the most prominent of its time. Josquin doesn't immediately surpass Obrecht, though, as the latter had been developing this style for quite a while himself.... Josquin's cycle seems rather blunter, but still somewhat evocative of what was to come... full of curiosities, I guess. (And I don't want to dismiss the enjoyable qualities of this mass, sort of halfway between these other settings....)
Missa Ave maris stella (a4): This is a relatively short & chiseled piece, also relatively close to plainchant, but also among my favorite Josquin cycles. In this case, the Tallis Scholars — despite positive remarks in the notes — also seem to treat it as a lesser piece, giving a rather astringent performance (perhaps based on less preparation?). It's not a bad reading, really, but bit thin at times (i.e. lacking in details, pace their standards here...), and so I also enjoy the more richly harmonized Ensemble vocal Cappella version.
Missa Une mousse de Biscaye (a4): This setting is kind of a mess, if you ask me.... (The song around which it's based is also rather strange.) I don't think anyone would pay attention to it if it wasn't by Josquin.
Missa L'ami baudichon (a4): This is another early setting, virtuosic, a kind of tour-de-force.... If not for its context here, it might draw more attention, but there's not much affective depth to it either.... (I tend to think of this cycle as Josquin trying to make an intellectual impression, early in his career.) It mostly seems to want to dazzle with long lines & counterpoints (i.e. in a style that I do sometimes enjoy...).
Missa D'ung aultre amer (a4): This cycle mixes in a motet, with the Ockeghem song, and generally presents itself as kind of layered piece.... I thus feel as though it can still serve as something of a Rosetta Stone for investigations of Josquin's compositional layers, and especially around issues of tuning (very little explored...) in the late 15th century. And some groups have begun at least some of this.... But the Tallis Scholars give a very straight reading here, all in one style, leaving "the stylistic layers" seeming awkward. This will always be a strange piece....
Missa Faysant regretz (a4): This cycle isn't one of my favorites either, but I do think it's the most compelling of the compact, chordal, "punchy" masses — & this is a strong rendition in that mode. It can seem crude, but also elegant in its "no note wasted" approach. This seems like the strongest (direct) articulation of this style in Josquin, but it's also a style that raises its head in more subtle ways in other masses, Missa Faysant regretz (despite remaining questions of chronology...) seeming to remain a touchstone.
Missa da pacem (a4): This mass cycle is now thought to be by Bauldeweyn (a composer whom I started to appreciate individually with the Sound and the Fury release prior to this...), and it's curious that Phillips chose to record it. (The other mass series don't include it. And so this is one reason that I wonder if these items were recorded many years ago....) In any case, this cycle lacks rhythmic suppleness relative to much of the Josquin series — & indeed relative to other Bauldeweyn cycles — and so although it feels structurally solid, it's also a bit "blocky." It's a strong reading, though, clearly articulated, and so makes a good contribution to the emerging Bauldeweyn discography, even if it isn't his finest setting....
Anyway, I guess this closes the series.... I'll certainly make a note if the set is reissued as a whole....
So why not four stars? I guess that should be addressed specifically: Although the quantity of great music included here is certainly high, I was simply never blown away by any of the individual albums, meaning their programs in their entirety & associated performances.... It's not really a "complete set" either, in terms of transcending that situation, because the first two issues aren't of similar value (& it wasn't released as such anyway). In that sense, a series of one- & two-star releases just can't add up to four here.... (The restart around Missa Sine nomine did receive three stars here at the time.... No other individual issue has, because although I've often been "impressed," I'm simply not in awe.... And the impact of that 2008 release does also decline with time & more releases.) So, as far as adding up stars, I guess it ends up being a nonlinear system, so to speak. (More like tiers....)
And then there'll, presumably, be other releases that capture my attention for the individual masses, perhaps permanently prompting me to move on, eventually.... In the meantime, though, pace early issues, this is clearly one of the central sets for the Franco-Flemish repertory in general.
Todd M. McComb Updated: 27 January 2022