5.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome addition to the Binchois discography, January 15, 2011
This review is from: Binchois, Lescurel: Chansons (Audio CD)
As one commentator I read elsewhere noted, the Ensemble Gilles Binchois has finally gotten around to recording the composer after whom its ensemble is named. Before this CD, I'd only had a few chansons by Binchois, but was fascinated by his "exotic" sound, particularly when he steps out of mode sometimes for his phrase endings. This CD is the most satisfying selection yet. It's also a great deal, coming as it does with another CD of the even older composer Lescurel, whose music is very engaging and of whom I'd never heard before.
Binchois is thought possibly to have been the teacher of Ockeghem. At any rate, Ockeghem apparently thought highly of him, since he wrote a Lament on the death of Binchois, which is a nice addition to the series of Josquin's "Nymphes de Bois" lament on the death of Ockeghem and Gombert's "Musae Jovis" lament on the death of Josquin. I have a gut feeling that there's a Binchois revival coming up. In February, a mass of Binchois will be released, which I'll probably get, since so far I only have chansons by Binchois. There is already a CD on Hyperion with a mass of Dufay plus "mass movements" and motets by Binchois, but, tightwad that I am, I'm waiting for the price to go down.
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