Josquin and the Lost Generation
Vox Early Music Ensemble

Review by: Robert Zierolf

Renaissance music is for some an acquired taste, but once acquired it can become insatiable. There are now several first-rate professional ensembles devoted exclusively to this repertoire, which was, until the later twentieth century, largely the province of musicologists.

For the uninitiated, mid-Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez is both a superb introduction to music of the times, and for those well acquainted with him and his era a likely favorite. To date, European ensembles have largely had the corner on this repertoire, so it's good to see a recording by a new ensemble from the United States present Josquin's music along with some by lesser known composers of the post- Josquin generation.

Vox Early Music Ensemble offers two secular and one sacred work by Josquin, and works by Nicholas Gombert and Jean Richafort that pay tribute to the "Prince of Music," as Josquin was known by his contemporaries and others since.

Performance by this Ann Arbor-based ensemble is not confidently polished when compared with longer established European counterparts, but the CD and liner notes with texts make a worthy addition to a Renaissance library.

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Robert Zierolf is Professor of Music Theory and History and Division head of Composition, Musicology, and Theory at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. He is also a freelance writer on classical music.