Love to my Liking
Alkemie
rec. 2022, Oktaven Audio and Tiny Panther Recording, Mount Vernon, USA
Bright Shiny Things BSTC0201 [54]
This group of musicians who have the name of Alkemie consist of six instrumentalists three doubling voice (two women one man) and two further female singers and this is a disc of 13th century anonymous trouvère songs and dances.
Trouvère lyrics grew out of the Romances, tales of knights and ladies emphasising the beauty of women, and the bravery and strength of the men. This was also the age of courtly romance and Chrétien de Troyes. One major drawback with this disc is that no texts are provided but the perennial joys of spring are also surely represented.
What survives musically from that period is just a melody and sometimes words without a melody so that one needs to be substituted. Some performers over the years, such as Catherine Bott and also Gothic Voices have taken the view that it is probably best to perform these melodies unaccompanied or, possibly with just a harp and much research seems to suggest this. ‘love to my liking’ take the opposite view they, orchestrate, you might say, and add colour through the instruments they have at their disposal that is for example, a vielle, a lyre, recorders, a psaltery a gittern and some rather mysterious instruments like a Hümmelchen which is a German bagpipe. Perhaps they overdo it, but it adds to the fun.
But what about the singers? And here I have a few reservations. First, for this often, very male repertoire it’s a pity that there is not an occasional solo male voice and secondly, we are not told who sings which song, and there can sometimes be a harshness of vocal timbre as in Li louseignolz que ja’I chanter. As an ensemble however, the blend is expressive and well balanced.
The notes emphasise what the group is attempting to achieve in gathering together these particular songs. The essay explains the chosen pieces ‘use a type of refrain common in 13th-14th Century French musical and literary work’. It goes on to explain that the refrains may ‘not repeat within a single piece but were passed from one work to another’. These refrains can appear also in the complex polytextual motets and on some occasions the performers add instrumental refrains within the songs. Perhaps these may also be improvised as are some accompaniments. It’s interesting also that, although the essay doesn’t mention it, they have recorded three Estampies the form of which is ABCBDB etc., in other words these also include an in-built refrain.
But what especially comes across is the seeming fun and enjoyment the musicians communicate through this music and surely this is what the performance of medieval music should always emphasise.
The CD comes in a slim cardboard packaging with colour illustrations and is excellently recorded with wide stereo spacing.
Gary Higginson
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Contents
1. E, bone amourette/La rotta della Manfredina
2. Por mon cuer a joie atraire
3. La tierche estampie
4. Li louseignolz que j’ai chanter
5. Li maus amourous /Dieus, por quoi/Portare
6. La septime estampie real
7. Joliement/Quant voi/ Je sui joliete/ Aptatur
8. Deus,de chanter/Chant d’oisiaus/In seculum
9. La seconde estanpie royal
10. Nus ne set/Regnat/Duskes ei ai plus amors honoree/Regnat
11. Bele doette as fenestres se siet
12. La joliveté /Douce amiete (V)
13. L’autrier chevauchoie delz Paris
