This well-performed collection of 14th-century music from the region of northern France known as Picardy offers a delightful sampling of the colorful songs and dances that characterized this place and period. Unfortunately, many prospective interested listeners are likely to be confused by the disc’s cover, which presents the name Josquin des Près in large type, followed by the names Robin & Marion. The track listings confuse the issue even more, because more names–Praetorius, Willaert, Adam de la Halle, anonymous–show up with no apparent associative link. There’s an explanation in French on the back cover, but that’s it, unless you also happen to check along the disc’s spine where it says “Mémoire De Picardie”, or elsewhere on the cover where it reads “Chantres de Picardie”. What is all this? Well, if you read French or happen to know the Picard story of Robin and Marion (not to be confused with the English one with Robin Hood and Maid Marian), you’ll figure it out; if not, you’ll be forgiven for being in the dark. Now, I’m one of those French readers, but with a CD cover, we’re talking about marketing to a worldwide audience, and although I’m no MBA I know that you’ve got a better chance to sell something if your prospective customer knows what the thing is.
Presumably, the prominent placement of Josquin’s name is meant to attract attention; but Josquin occupies only four of the 20 tracks. It turns out that there are two threads running through the program: one concerns music associated with the legend of the shepherd Robin and his true love, the shepherdess Marion, created in a 13th-century song by Adam de la Halle; the other simply presents additional representative vocal and instrumental music of the period. There are some nice tunes here, including the beguiling “Un jour Amarille et Tirsis”, and we get to hear some unusual instruments such as a four-course guitar, bûche des Flandres (a type of zither), organistrum, and bowed psaltery. The singers perform in a style that reflects the music’s popular origins and performing tradition. The clear, detailed sound allows us to closely hear the buzzing reeds, plunking and snapping strings, thunking drumhead skin, and resonating wood.
