This choir has brought to light some little-known Masses of the early Renaissance (two previous discs offered four Masses of Obrecht). The only previous recording of a Mass by this composer is a composite of five different works made by Paul Van Nevel that includes the Agnus Dei from one of these Masses. Agricola was born in Ghent a decade earlier than Obrecht and died a year after him. In the last six years of his life, he sang in the Burgundian chapel and died of the plague in Spain with the duke. Only recently Rob Wegman has published new information about his earlier career in Cambrai, Milan, Florence, Ferrara, Naples and the French court. He wrote Masses, sacred music in many forms, chansons and instrumental pieces.
These are long Masses, almost 40 minutes each, based on secular cantus firmi. Malheur me bat is the song by Malcort or Martini (a matter of dispute) on which Obrecht based a mass already recorded by Bali. The other Mass is based on an anonymous Flemish tune that was also used frequently. The two Masses are more similar than contrasting, although in Fabrice Fitch's words the Agnus Dei of the latter Mass is more "bizarre." This choir of men's voices has a distinctive sound, more angular than the homogeneous tone of Renaissance vocal ensembles further west. I hope to hear more obscure Masses from this group. jerome f. weberJEROME F. WEBER