Think Subtilior (Cercle des fumeux & Songs and Sounds)
8/25/2017, 13 Tracks, 51:14
Featuring
Santenay
Thor-Harald Johnsen
Anonymous
(Jean) Solage
Johannes Symonis Hasprois
Matteo da Perugia
Baude Cordier
Johannes Ciconia
Did you know?
1/7
Compositional Technique
Johannes Ciconia's canon "Le ray au soleyl" is an emblematic work that references the Visconti family, using celestial symbols from their coat of arms and quoting their motto.
Interpretation
The performers aimed to create a 'bridge' to connect listeners to the music, using 'musical frames' to introduce, interconnect, and bring new aspects out of the works.
Historical Context
The ars subtilior style of music was found in France, northern Italy, and Cyprus, coinciding with a boom in cultural activity at European courts.
Recording & Production
The album includes interludes, assembled and mixed by Thor-Harald Johnsen, that were inspired by themes like the circle, infinity, smoke, heaven, and earth, using sounds from the instruments, musical fragments, and improvisations.
Compositional Technique
Baude Cordier's canon "Tout par compas" playfully explores the idea of a circle on both visual and structural levels, as seen in the manuscript's aesthetics and the composition's form.
Historical Context
A group of eccentric young intellectuals, including composers Solage and Jehan Simon Hasprois, formed the 'Cercle des Fumeux' in 14th-century Paris, known for their extravagance and mockery of reason.
Composition History
The musical style featured on this album, known today as ars subtilior, emerged and developed at the end of the 14th century.
