Dufay: Supremum Est Mortalibus

English music caused a sensation for the first time at the Council of Constance (1414-1418), one of the most important turning-points of European cultural exchange. Many musicians, from church and court, were involved. The chronicler of the council, Ulrich von Richenthal, enthusiastically described the music, which was clearly new to him, as "sweet English song". No less indicative of the change of style around 1430 is the first literary and theoretical evidence. The Burgundian court poet Martin le Franc wrote about Dufay and Binchois, the first composers of the new style subject to the English influence:

“Car ilz ont nouvelle pratique / De faire frisque concordance... / Et ont prins de la contenance / Angloise et ensuy Dunstable” (For they have a new method of making fresh harmony ... and have adopted the English countenance and followed Dunstable)

La contenance angloise presents key pieces of the new repertoire from around 1430 by John Dunstaple, Leonel Power, Guillaume Dufay, Gilles Binchois and Johannes Brassart.

chant 1450 is an international vocal ensemble specialising in the sacred and secular repertoire of the 15th and 16th centuries. It was formed in summer 2003 by a group of musicians attached to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel. Instead of focusing on individual composers, its concerts and CDs are thematic in conception, which makes for fascinating, varied programming.

With this disc, Giuseppe Maletto and Cantica Symphonia complete their 'Dufay trilogy' on Glossa: two volumes of motets and one of chansons.

These singers and instrumentalists, many of them members of the various permutations of La Venexiana, represent the best possible interpreters for communicating this timeless and moving music: motets indelibly linked to the power struggles that, in the first half of the 15th century, convulsed the politics of European powers and of the Roman Catholic Church.

Together with Quadrivium, this new release sees Cantica Symphonia traversing all the currently attributed motets by Dufay: works written to set the seal on historic occasions as well as those with liturgical texts.

The accompanying essay admirably captures the pervasive 15th century currents of Humanism and religious splendour.

The manuscript Bologna, Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale, MS Q15 is one of the great anthologies of 15th century music, without which our understanding of early Renaissance music would be hopelessly impaired. It is known as Q15 to its friends; and it has many friends, for contained within it are examples of almost every conceivable musical genre of the period — with a special emphasis on sacred polyphony — and works by a vast array of composers. And even if we choose to make a selection of works by a single composer, as we have done here, the variety of forms and styles on offer is bewildering.