Released

Quicksilver genius from the Ensemble Clément Janequin abounds right from the beginning here.  “Las me faut-il,” the unrequited love song that opens the record, is given all dark vocal colors, but then the light suddenly flips on for the comic “Quand mon mary vient dehors.”  In this wife’s complaint about her mean husband, the ensemble’s wacky, mercurial delivery shows a level of commitment to the bit that has no equal.  But it isn’t just weirdness that makes it work; it’s also very subtle. On the fourth line, for instance, where the speaker talks about how the husband likes to swing a ladle at her head, the ensemble modifies its cackling delivery for an instant back to the dark colors of “Las me faut-il,” letting off a wisp of menace and suggesting hidden subtext.   The Ensemble’s fearlessness and execution make this a totally refreshing early-music experience.

Sean Wood

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