Lassus: Motets and Chansons

Hilliard Ensemble, Orlande de Lassus - Lassus: Motets and Chansons

Lassus: Motets and Chansons
List Price: $13.98
Our Price: $12.99
You Save: $0.99 (7%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

CD Details

Artist: Hilliard Ensemble, Orlande de Lassus
Edition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 1995-09-19
Music Label: EMI Classics Imports
Soundtracks:
  1. Stabat Mater
  2. In Monte Oliveti
  3. Cum Natus Esset Jesus
  4. Bon Jour Mon Couer
  5. Fleur De Quinze Ans
  6. Susanne Ung Jour
  7. J'ayme La Pierre Precieuse
  8. Margot Labourez Les Vignes
  9. La Nuict Froide Et Sombre
  10. Wickhambrook Lute Manuscript: Susanne Ung Jour
  11. Pour Courir En Poste a La Ville

Music reviews of Lassus: Motets and Chansons

Music Review: Superb Performance but Almost Drowned in Tape Noise
Rating: 3 Stars

The Hilliards (here: David James, Charles Brett, Rogers Covey-Crump, Paul Elliott, John Potter, Leigh Nixon, Paul Hillier, Michael George and David Bevan) recorded this introduction to the works of Orlando di Lasso (also known as Lassus) at the Priory Church in Boxgrove, England, in 1983. Unusually for the Hilliards, there is an instrumental accompaniment to some of the numbers, namely Stephen Stubbs on the lute, and he is also given a six-minute lute solo towards the end of the recital. The programme also includes three comparatively lengthy sacred motets in Latin and seven French songs with rather less-than-sacred texts (!). The motets have six to eight voices each and are very beautiful indeed, and Paul Hillier does well to wax enthusiastic about them in his notes; Lasso’s treatment of “Herodes Rex turbatus est” in “Cum natus esset Jesus” is a pointer to some of what Johann Sebastian Bach would achieve 150 years later. The chansons are mostly for five voices and are here given the kind of light but perfectionist treatment that has made the Hilliards so popular. The voices blend immaculately, and for performance there can only be full marks.

Unfortunately, however, the sound lags a long way behind. Although this is a digital recording (DDD), there is a considerable amount of tape noise to be put up with, so much, in fact, that the beautiful lute solo loses a lot of its attractiveness and becomes something to get annoyed about. I don’t know whether it was the abbey acoustics that were to blame for this or just the engineers, but this sound (the voices also sound somewhat “cavernous”) is just not worthy of the group or the repertoire. And for that reason, I would say that this CD is one purely for dyed-in-the-wool Hilliard fans.

Classical CDs

Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapes ImageWinterscapes
by London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops: $6.99
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebee ImageThe Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebee
by Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops: $13.98
Beethoven Lives Upstairs Cdr ImageClassical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs Cdr
Release date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.98
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos)) ImageTchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))
by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] ImageJose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]
Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops: $9.99
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] ImageTchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.89
Price in other shops: $29.95
Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] ImageRambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops: $29.95
Winter Music: Composing the North ImageWinter Music: Composing the North
by John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.88
Price in other shops: $25.95
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] ImagePuccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops: $29.95
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] ImageVerdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops: $29.95
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles