RECORDINGS OF THE YEAR

EARLY MUSIC

WINNER A winningly original take on the music of Josquin Thélème’s thoroughly modern take on Renaissance music radiates imagination

Every so often an album comes along that treads a fine line between visionary and baffling and, take it from me, this is an unmissable example. Much of this album demonstrates a cool mastery of conservative performance: several lesser-known chansons are performed from the best editions with a gripping focus on the text. There’s a characterful performance of Fama malum, about the spread of evil rumours, and a truly beautiful La Bernardina from lutenists Ivo Haun and Ziv Braha. But my ear was caught by Julien Freymuth, a bright countertenor who spins phrases of fine filigree in Bergerette savoisienne when duetting with the ondes Martenot.

Yes, that’s right, an ondes Martenot in Josquin; and elsewhere a Buchler synthesiser and a Fender Rhodes too. Exploring Josquin’s popularity through

THE RECORDING

Josquin ‘Baisiez Moy’ Thélème / Jean-Christophe Groffe Aparté AP259 (11/21) Producers & Engineers Nicolas Bartholomée & Hugo Scremin 71 VOTES

RUNNERS UP

‘Echoes of an Old Hall’ Gothic Voices Linn (9/21) 57 VOTES

Josquin ‘Giosquino: Josquin Desprez in Italia’ Odhecaton; The Gesualdo Six; La Pifarescha; La Reverdie / Paolo Da Col Arcana (A/21) 46 VOTES

a Jacques Brelle-meets-Messiaen filter, Thélème present a masterclass in earlymusic arrangement starting from (cue respectful sotto voce) historically informed performance, and quickly blasting beyond its catchment area into another realm altogether – possibly a good deal outside the taste level you might have been expecting – but via an exhilarating trajectory. The aim is to align Josquin with some famous 20th-century melancholy and this is achieved with such imaginative conviction that I felt their Mille regretz is best heard walking ruefully through wet Parisian streets at 3am with a Gauloise hanging from my lower lip. Regretz? I’ve had a few.

Seriously though, Josquin is both venerated in faithful reproduction and honoured by inspiration. The whole album is superb. Edward Breen

42 GRAMOPHONE GRAMOPHONE RECORDINGS OF THE YEAR 2022

gramophone.co.uk