Album

Gothic Voices is a durable British ensemble that has performed medieval secular music mostly in vocal a cappella style. You may or may not like that approach, but if you'd like to give it a try, this disc contains repertory in which unaccompanied singing works well. The group sings some of the fixed-form chansons of Machaut—and not the usual ones—but then seizes on the inherent complexity of Machaut's music and looks forward in time to one of his successors, the mysterious Solage. Nothing, not even a first name, is known of this composer, but he was active at the end of the fourteenth century, and his music, lumped at the time under the label of ars subtilior or "subtle art,"seems to have been intellectual and at times freakish. Many discs contain one or two of his pieces, but this one offers a more generous sampling of this music. For a taste of what you're getting into, sample his best-known piece, Fumeux fume par fumee (track 6), whose opening lines are here translated as "Out of dreams the dreamer dreams up dreamy speculation." Elsewhere the pieces have been thought to refer to smoke, or perhaps even to drug use—a logical supposition in view of the thoroughly cosmic text. This was apparently music made for small groups of aficionados, and the rather claustrophobic atmosphere induced by the small groups of voices singing medieval intervals actually helps put across the weirdly arcane mood of Solage's music. Other songs involve acrostics in their texts, comment on political affairs (S'aincy estoit, track 10), or even argue in favor of jackets as opposed to robes or cloaks (Pluseurs gens, track 11). The Gothic Voices achieve variety by assigning pieces to high or low ranges and deploying shifting groups of singers. This album is worth anyone's time for the ride through Solage's music, and it's a must for those already enamored of the Gothic Voices style.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide

CD 1
Solage Composer Le basile de sa propre nature (ballade, a4) Work Gothic Voices Chorus/Choir
1	Le basile de sa propre nature (ballade, a4)	4:13			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Mors sui se je ne vous voy (virelai, a2) Work Julian Podger Tenor, Steven Harrold Tenor
2	Mors sui se je ne vous voy (virelai, a2)	4:02			$0.99
Solage Composer En l'amoureux vergier (ballade, a3) Work Catherine King Mezzo-Soprano, Julian Podger Tenor, Steven Harrold Tenor
3	En l'amoureux vergier (ballade, a3)	4:57			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Quant je sui mis su retour (virelai, a1) Work Stephen Charlesworth Baritone
4	Quant je sui mis su retour (virelai, a1)	1:43			$0.99
Solage Composer Tres gentil cuer, (virelais, a3) Work Catherine King Mezzo-Soprano, Leigh Nixon Tenor, Julian Podger Tenor
5	Tres gentil cuer, (virelais, a3)	6:49			$0.99
Solage Composer Fumeux fume par fumée, (rondeau, a3) Work Jonathan Arnold Bass, Robert MacDonald Bass, Stephen Charlesworth Baritone
6	Fumeux fume par fumée, (rondeau, a3)	4:26			$0.99
Solage Composer Joieux de cuer en seumellant estoye (virelais, a4) Work Gothic Voices Chorus/Choir
7	Joieux de cuer en seumellant estoye (virelais, a4)	4:00			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Dame, se vous m'estés lointeinne (a1) Work Catherine King Mezzo-Soprano
8	Dame, se vous m'estés lointeinne (a1)	2:29			$0.99
Anonymous, Codex Chantilly Composer Adieu vous di, tres doulce compaygnie (ballade) Work Leigh Nixon Tenor, Robert MacDonald Bass, Stephen Charlesworth Baritone
9	Adieu vous di, tres doulce compaygnie (ballade)	2:51			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Plus dure qu'un dyamant (virelai, a2) Work Leigh Nixon Tenor, Steven Harrold Tenor
10	Plus dure qu'un dyamant (virelai, a2)	3:28			$0.99
Solage Composer Corps feminin (ballade, a3) Work Catherine King Mezzo-Soprano, Leigh Nixon Tenor, Steven Harrold Tenor
11	Corps feminin (ballade, a3)	3:59			$0.99
Solage Composer S'aincy estoit que ne feust la noblesce (ballade, a3) Work Leigh Nixon Tenor, Steven Harrold Tenor, Stephen Charlesworth Baritone
12	S'aincy estoit que ne feust la noblesce (ballade, a3)	3:14			$0.99
Solage Composer Plusiers gens voy, (ballade, a4) Work Gothic Voices Chorus/Choir
13	Plusiers gens voy, (ballade, a4)	2:43			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Douce dame, tant com vivray (rondeau, a2) Work Catherine King Mezzo-Soprano, Steven Harrold Tenor
14	Douce dame, tant com vivray (rondeau, a2)	3:12			$0.99
Anonymous, Codex Chantilly Composer Le Mont Aon de Thrace (ballade) Work Leigh Nixon Tenor, Steven Harrold Tenor, Stephen Charlesworth Baritone
15	Le Mont Aon de Thrace (ballade)	3:19			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Se je souspir parfondement (virelai, a2) Work Catherine King Mezzo-Soprano
16	Se je souspir parfondement (virelai, a2)	2:38			$0.99
Solage Composer Calextone, qui fut dame (ballade, a3) Work Robert MacDonald Bass, Julian Podger Tenor, Stephen Charlesworth Baritone
17	Calextone, qui fut dame (ballade, a3)	3:06			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Dieus, Biaute, Douceur (virelai, a1) Work Steven Harrold Tenor
18	Dieus, Biaute, Douceur (virelai, a1)	4:30			$0.99
Solage Composer Hélas, je voy mon cuer, (ballade, a4) Work Gothic Voices Chorus/Choir
19	Hélas, je voy mon cuer, (ballade, a4)	5:30			$0.99