2021 sees the 500th anniversary of the death of Josquin Des Pres, the most celebrated composer of his day. Dominique Visse and the Ensemble Clément Janequin are recording a selection of his chansons from one of the most important editions of his works, Tylman Susato’s Septiesme livre de Chansons published in 1545. This edition bear witness to the diversity of Josquin’s chanson writing, but above all to the melancholy and sorrow so present in his works, and is clearly a tribute, as is also evident in the two Déplorations on his death, Musæ Jovis by Nicolas Gombert and O mors inevitabilis by Hieronymus Vinders. This recording endeavours to present a Josquin legacy, a post mortem illustration of his chanson œuvre, in remembrance of his musical genius.

Un aspect important d’un grand compositeur de la Renaissance, servi par des interprètes parfaitement rodés à ce répertoire et à l’esprit de l’époque : une belle réussite.

Créé à Paris en 1978, la même année que les Arts Florissants, l'Ensemble Clément Janequin se consacre en priorité à la musique profane et sacrée de la Renaissance, de Josquin à Monteverdi. Son inimitable interprétation de la chanson parisienne du XVIe siècle a fait redécouvrir un des âges d'Or de l'histoire de la musique française, ses enregistrements Les Cris de Paris, , , , et La Chasse chez harmonia mundi faisant figure de référence.

Créé à Paris en 1978, la même année que les Arts Florissants, l'Ensemble Clément Janequin se consacre en priorité à la musique profane et sacrée de la Renaissance, de Josquin à Monteverdi. Son inimitable interprétation de la chanson parisienne du XVIe siècle a fait redécouvrir un des âges d'Or de l'histoire de la musique française, ses enregistrements Les Cris de Paris, , , , et La Chasse chez harmonia mundi faisant figure de référence.

Jérôme Lejeune continues his History of Music series with this boxed set devoted to the Renaissance. The next volume in the series after Flemish Polyphony (RIC 102), this set explores the music of the 16th century from Josquin Desprez to Roland de Lassus. After all of the various turnings that music took during the Middle Ages, the music of the Renaissance seems to be a first step towards a common European musical style. Josquin Desprez’s example was followed by every composer in every part of Europe and in every musical genre, including the Mass setting, the motet and all of the various new types of solo song. Instrumental music was also to develop considerably from the beginning of the 16th century onwards.

Founded in Paris in 1978 the Ensemble Clément Janequin devotes itself principally to the secular and religious music of the Renaissance. Its interpretations of the Parisian chanson are regarded as authoritative, and recordings of works like Les Cris de Paris, Le Chant des Oyseaulx, Fricassée Parisienne and La Chasse have brought back to life one of golden ages of French music. Now available to a wide audience, the music of Janequin, Sermisy, Anthoine de Bertrand, Costeley, Roland de Lassus and Claude Le Jeune illustrates the contrasts in which the Renaissance took such delight…

2021 sees the 500th anniversary of the death of Josquin Des Pres, the most celebrated composer of his day. Dominique Visse and the Ensemble Clément Janequin are recording a selection of his chansons from one of the most important editions of his works, Tylman Susato’s Septiesme livre de Chansons published in 1545. This edition bear witness to the diversity of Josquin’s chanson writing, but above all to the melancholy and sorrow so present in his works, and is clearly a tribute, as is also evident in the two Déplorations on his death, Musæ Jovis by Nicolas Gombert and O mors inevitabilis by Hieronymus Vinders. This recording endeavours to present a Josquin legacy, a post mortem illustration of his chanson œuvre, in remembrance of his musical genius. It has also enabled Dominique Visse and the Ensemble Clément Janequin to express their profound musical passion for this major Renaissance composer who has accompanied them for more than 40 years.

The Renaissance French composer Clément Janequin is rightfully regarded today as a master of the chanson, of which 286 have survived. Had only the program chansons "La Bataille de Marignan" (which imitates the sounds of battle) and "Le Chant des oiseaux" (which imitates the sound of birds) survived today, he would still lay claim to greatness in the genre.