Josquin des Prés Œuvres vocales sacrées Ensemble Amarcord - RKAP10124

Sacré de son vivant prince des musiciens, sollicité par tous les puissants d'Europe, infatigable voyageur, Josquin des Prés n'a semble-t-il (il y a des trous dans sa biographie) jamais séjourné en terre germanique. Mais sa musique voyageait pour lui, sous forme de manuscrits, tels que ceux-ci, retrouvés à Leipzig, et qui comportent bon nombre de morceaux totalement inédits, que nous découvrons ici avec bonheur. L'oeuvre de Josquin est le point de fusion entre le style contrapuntique franco-flamand désormais parfait et la naissante sensibilité harmonique italienne. Dans cet album consacré à des hymnes mariaux, avec leur ligne de chant claire, épurée, les chanteurs d'Amarcord rendent pleinement justice à la fraîcheur, à la sereine splendeur de ces pages. (Marc Galand)

Although Josquin des Prez - the grand master among Renaissance composers - never traveled to Leipzig himself, his music found its way to the flourishing imperial trade fair city as early as the beginning of the 16th century. There, at the crossroads of important trade routes, where merchants sold furs, wine and other treasures, the latest musical masterpieces from Italy were also traded. Two manuscripts from Leipzig preserve this cultural treasure to this day: the Apel Codex, compiled by the scholar Nicolaus Apel around 1500, and the important collective manuscript Ms. Thomaskirche 49/50 from the university library, which brought together the most outstanding compositions of its time in 1558. From these Leipzig manuscripts amarcord creates the fascinating image of a “Leipzig Josquin” with their unmistakably pure sound. At the center is the Missa de Beata Virgine, a work full of beauty and deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. In it, Josquin demonstrates his extraordinary mastery in alternating between four- and five-part movements and unfolds an impressive musical dramaturgy. But this album is more than a mass of the Virgin Mary - it is a sonic journey through time. Sacred motets based on chansons by Josquin are artfully interwoven with the movements of the mass, while medieval sequences from the Leipzig St. Thomas Gradual deepen the Marian devotion in a touching way. The recording in the historic St. Thomas Church gives the music a special atmosphere and brings the centuries-old tradition of church music to life. With dedication, precision and an unique sense for the Renaissance, amarcord, all former members of the St. Thomas Boys Choir, bring this world of sound to new life. A listening experience that moves the heart and soul and features eight world premiere recordings among the 16 tracks on the CD.