Conductus 1: Music & Poetry from Thirteenth Century France – John Potter, Christopher O’Gorman, Rogers Covey-Crump, tenors – Hyperion CDA67949, 60:39 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****:
As noted in the heading, this is the first of three volumes dedicated to that peculiar French and mostly Notre Dame-inspired form called the conductus. This will probably be a little esoteric for most listeners, though the good people at the University of Southampton, of whom the first two listed tenors are a part, believe it important enough to sponsor these recordings. The conductus developed as a parallel to the more florid organum which dominated the field thanks to the early polyphonic composers Leonin and Perotin in Northern France. Conductus was instead mostly syllabic (one or a small group of notes per syllable), voices moving in nearly the same rhythm (so the effect was rather “chordal”), used a newly-composed melody for the cantus firmus instead of an ecclesiastical chant, was basically non-liturgical (though it could be on religious themes) and when using secular themes it dealt with moral issues or historical events. Both the conductus and organum essentially died out by the end of the thirteenth century, being replaced by the much sturdier and facile motet. Almost all the examples we have, of which there are many, are anonymous.
But the music is also quite beautiful in many instances. These forms didn’t last because they were unpopular; indeed in this instance the basically non-liturgical stripe of the music gave it an added dimension among the populace. On this recording we are offered examples of one, two, and three-part conductus, some of immense complexity. It is an ongoing argument as to how it is to be performed and how to interpret the metrical complexities; some believe it processional music either for extra-liturgical services or to fill liturgical time such as when the gospel was brought to the pulpit. Others believe that the complexity involved was too much for such simple actions and that the usage had to be for other things. No matter—now all we have to do is sit and enjoy the music wedded to the words and place ourselves back in a time when modalism had not yet morphed into tonality. The three tenors here are remarkably adept at this music, their choices convincing, and sing with obvious relish. Medievalists will want this for sure; others also might discover great enjoyment.
—Steven Ritter
