Nicholas Ludford: Domine Jesu Christe, Ave cujus conceptio.

The five Fazer publications inaugurate a new series under the general editorship of Paul Hillier. In essence, they are designed as performing editions; hence, critical commentaries are absent, though there are varying amounts of explanatory material, which, despite the provenance of the series (Finland), is in English.

Some imagination has been shown in choosing the first batch of pieces. Ockeghem's Missa Prolationum (sic--the title in the manuscript is unambiguous) is a technical tour de force containing double mensuration canons at each of the diatonic intervals. Such is the level of skill that the music sounds not one whit academic, and its seamless web of counterpoint is remarkable for its age, even in the context of Ockeghem's output. Yet until now the only edition which has been readily available has been in the Collected works, far from easy to read, and using C clefs. The three motets are all approachable and demonstrate different facets of the small-scale music of the period. At one extreme lies the Ave Maria, whose blend of limpid beauty …