Title: Explorations in the early Middle Ages
Product review: This is a wonderful and enligthening CD. The excellent French group Ensemble Gilles Binchois explore a very important moment in European music history: the emergence of polyphony. The so-called Ars Nova marks a radical departure from the monody of the gregorian chant. Arguably, polyphony is the cornerstone of European music. Even modern composers such as Nono, Berio and Boulez continue to be deeply influenced by the Ars Nova.This record provides early examples of polyphony in France, showing examples of the transition to the monody to one, two and then many simultaneous voices. Dominique Vellard, conductor of the ensemble, is a scholar-performer in medieval music, and works at the Center for Medieval Music in Paris. The performance and recordings are first-rate. If you care about medieval music, this record is a must-have.
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