Ockeghem: For Ockeghem. (The Hilliard Ensemble)

For the well-known but underrecorded composer, nothing beats an anniversary. Last year's beneficiary was Johannes Ockeghem (c.1420-97), one of the giants of 15th-century music, the commemoration of whose death 500 years ago brought forth an array of new recordings of his works. One piece in particular, his Missa De plus en plus, has recently been the focus of various ensembles' efforts; of the six releases under review here, four feature complete performances of the work and a fifth includes one of its movements. The appearance in close succession of these recordings, which in the ungenerous world of marketing might seem an unfortunate coincidence, turns out to be a boon for anyone interested in 15th-century polyphony, since each of the ensembles brings something different to the work. If in the end the performances are not all equally satisfying, one nevertheless remains grateful for the opportunity to hear a variety of accomplished groups come to terms with one of the few of Ockeghem's Masses not to have been previously recorded.

The Missa De plus en plus is based on the tenor of a well-known chanson by Binchois (c.1400-60). Personal contact between the two musicians has yet to be documented, though Ockeghem's lament for Binchois, the ballade Mort tu as navre, has been interpreted as suggesting some sort of teacher--pupil relationship. The recent discovery that Ockeghem was born in a town very near Mons (where Binchois worked as a young man) would seem to strengthen this possibility. At all events, the older composer's influence is clearly in evidence in a number of …