Customer Reviews

Guillaume Dufay: Missa Ecce Ancilla Domini - A 15th Century Mass from the Cathedral of Cambrai /Ensemble Gilles Binchois * Vellard

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During the period 1450 - 1550, church music became increasingly interesting intellectually (complex polyphonic procedures) and by late renaissance finally more emotionally expressive too. Dufay stands in the beginning of this development and seems more close to what we today might label a meditative approach to religious music. The polyphony here is interesting enough to keep your concentration; the music is sufficiently calming to settle your mind and permit you to go into a deeper state of experience. This mass is too engaging to be considered meditation music, but it is still deeply relaxing. I can't help imagining myself staying completely alone on a remote mountain farm, burning wood at the antique fireplace as the first snow of winter silently drifts in the chill air outside the walls of ancient timber and I have no other business than putting another log into the fire.
Ensemble Gilles Binchois and its conductor/singer Dominique Vellard are legends in early music performance. I think that the more early and more sacred the music, the better they sound. They have won a lot of prices for their numerous recordings, of which many are not available anymore. Lending this CD makes me anxious...