Classical music on CD: Ockeghem Hilliard Ensemble Hilliard Live III,1002
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Your support makes all the difference.For years, the 15th-century composer Johannes Ockeghem was one of those "important" historical figures students read about in textbooks, but rarely (if ever) heard. Now there is a growing list of recordings. The booklet notes for this Hilliard Live collection - several pages on historical background and "Tuning Ockeghem" - show how much scholarly spade-work has been done. The unique factor here is that the music was recorded in concert (in association with Radio 3). If you didn't know that, would it be possible to guess? Apart from one explosive audience cough and the odd tiny blemish in the singing, there are no giveaway technical mishaps.
But the Hilliard's performances certainly have the "live" edge, the odd hint that risks are being taken - the big stress on "invida mors" (hateful death) in Lupi's Ergone conticuit, for instance - all very refreshing. For Ockeghem is a tribute to the composer rather than a straight recital. The programme includes songs of praise by contemporaries (Lupi, Compere, Busnois), and readings from an extravagantly laudatory memorial poem by Guillaume Cretin. I'm not going to pretend that I found Ockeghem's musical personality and craft instantly distinguishable from those of his composer colleagues, but the excerpts from four of his masses make it easy to understand why he was valued so highly in his time - especially the radiant, effortlessly intricate Credo from the Missa De plus en plus.
Listeners may not want to repeat the total experience too often; but take away the poetry and that still leaves nearly 60 minutes of beautiful music, beautifully sung - and surely that's enough of a recommendation.
Hilliard live recordings can only be obtained mail order (01904 636111)
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