Gombert: Missa Media Vita in Morte Sumus

Gombert's polyphony tends to be intense; he's a Renaissance Phil Spector. One has to give in to the wash of music that he hurls at you. There are few fun canonic duets to lighten the texture, for example; all five (or four, or six) men seem to be singing all the time. Far from being a criticism, the impression is quite stunning if you're ready for the chocolate-y, solid sound. Gombert loves dissonances, and there are troves of long stretches here. The resolutions are invariably exquisite. This Mass is based on a motet he, himself wrote called "In the middle of life we are already dead." After singing the motet, the superb Hilliard Ensemble performs the Mass, interspersed with other motets, probably to vary the density of the texture. The original melody of the motet is used throughout the Mass, and it's fascinating to follow it as it flows away and returns. The performance is impeccable and the sound, as always with ECM, is glorious--reverberant without every getting muddy. If Josquin is to your taste, try Gombert. The latter was probably the former's student. Not for the lighthearted, but glorious music nonetheless. --Robert Levine