Ockeghem: Missa L'homme Armé

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The centrepiece here is Ockeghem's L'homme armé Mass. It may be one of his earliest Masses, dating perhaps from the early 1450s. It's also one of his most curious. For the most part it lies in... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Catalogue No: 8554297
Label: Naxos
Series: Early Music Collection
Length: 56 minutes

Penguin Guide

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Ockeghem: Missa L'homme Armé

Work length43:18

$12.00

$15.60

Oxford Camerata
Jeremy Summerly

Ave Maria, gratia plena

Track length3:07

$1.00

$1.30

Alma Redemptoris Mater (Mode 5)

Track length1:54

$1.00

$1.30

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Track length5:43

$1.00

$1.30

L' homme arme

Track length0:45

$1.00

$1.30

Kyrie (Missa L' homme arme)

Track length2:20

$1.00

$1.30

Gloria ( Missa L' homme arme)

Track length5:20

$1.00

$1.30

Credo (Missa L' homme arme)

Track length7:19

$2.00

$2.60

Immittet Angelus Domini

Track length2:00

$1.00

$1.30

Sanctus (Missa L' homme arme)

Track length8:22

$2.00

$2.60

Agnus Dei (Missa L' homme arme)

Track length6:28

$1.00

$1.30

Josquin: Memor esto verbi tui

Work length13:22

$3.00

$3.85

Oxford Camerata
Jeremy Summerly

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Reviews

2010

The centrepiece here is Ockeghem's L'homme armé Mass. It may be one of his earliest Masses, dating perhaps from the early 1450s. It's also one of his most curious. For the most part it lies in a relatively high register, belying his usual predilection for low bass ranges; but every now and again the basses descend in spectacular fashion. In the third Agnus they hold down the tune in very long notes, while the other voices seem to float above them. Seldom before in the history of music can the articulation of time have been so clear a feature of a piece's design: it seems almost to have been suspended altogether. It's an extraordinary moment, difficult to pull off in performance, but here the singers seem to have got it right. Elsewhere, Summerly's approach is nicely varied, but on the whole more meditative than emphatic. The performance grows in stature with each movement, as though keeping pace with the cycle's ambition. The reading isn't without the odd glitch, but taken as a whole it's a fine achievement. The accompanying motets work very well, but it's a shame that the choir's richness of sound isn't quite matched by the acoustic. But the overall impression is resoundingly positive: those new to Ockeghem should find this disc too good an opportunity to pass up.

2011 edition

[L'Homme arme] is superbly sung here and is marvellously paced...the recording, made in the Chapel of Hertford College, Oxford, could hardly be bettered.

Ockeghem: Missa L'homme Armé

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