# Which are your top 10 pieces composed before 1600?



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

My knowledge of pre-Baroque music is very limited, so I'm looking for suggestions of great works in this period. So, which are your favorite pieces of music composed prior to the year of 1600?

Recommendations of performances aren't necessary, but certainly are welcome.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

In no particular order: The Isorhythmic Motets (Ensemble Huelgas) of Dufay and his Missa se la face ay pale (Diabolus in musica); Missa Papae Marcelli by Palestrina (if you want pure bliss, then go with the Tallis Scholars); the Psalmi Davidis Poenitentiales (Herreweghe) by De Lassus; Messe de Notre Dame by Machaut (Graindelavoix for a bonkers and terrifying performance, but I'd start with Ensemble Organum); Books 1 through 4 of Gesualdo's madrigals; Missa L'homme armé, Missa Hercules dux Ferrariae and many other works (Planxit autem David, Nymphes des bois, In principio erat verbum, Absalon, fili mi) by des Prez; Missa Prolationum and the Requiem by Ockeghem. Essential works all of them really.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Dowland, First booke of songs (1597, most of his other stuff is after 1600)
Generally, there is a lot of Elizabethan vocal, Lute and keyboard music I like, most of which is before 1600 but some also early 1600s. Morley, Byrd, Gibbons etc. Best to check out some anthologies; they are usually short pieces around 3-6 min. or so.
Tallis, Lamentations, Spem in alium
Brumel: Missa "et ecce motus terrae"
Dufay: Motets have been mentioned (Nuper rosarum flores etc.)

Solange: Fumeux fume, a mysterious ca. 14th century piece 

Again, probably best to check some anthologies of late 14th century music, like "Court of Burgundy" or so.


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

Personally, these:

Guillaume de Machaut: Messe de Notre Dame (1365)
Bernart de Ventadorn: Can Vei La Lauzeta Mover (12th C.)
Anon.: Winchester Troper (10th C)
Dufay, Guillaume: Missa l'Homme Armé (1450)
Tallis, Thomas: Spem in Alium (1570)
Lassus, Orlande de: Psalmi Davidis Poenitentiales (1584)
Taverner, John: Western Wynde Mass (1520)
Byrd, William: Cantiones sacrae (1575)
Byrd, William: Infelix Ego (1591)
Dowland, John: First Booke of Songes (1597)

More recommendations here:

Early and Ars Antiqua
Ars Nova
Early Renaissance
Late Renaissance
Renaissance-Baroque transition (some pre-1600, most post-1600)


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Here's five:

Giovani Gabrieli: Canzon in echo duodecimi toni a 10, Ch. 180 (1597)





Andrea Gabrieli: Ricercar del duodecimo tuono a 4 (1589)





Josquin des Prez: El grillo (1549) *disputed authorship





Josquin des Prez: Mille regretz (1505)





Tomas de Luis Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium (1572)


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

And five more:

Thomas Morley: My Bonny Lass She Smileth (1595)





Thomas Morley: Now Is the Month of Maying (1595)





Dowland: Lachrimae Pavan (1590 ca.)





Byrd: The Battell





John Bull: The King's Hunt (1600?)


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Already mentioned, but I'll link to this one for you:
Thomas Tallis: Spem in Alium (1570)


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Aside from the *Machaut* _Messe_, I don't have favorite works since so often the effect of Medieval/Renaissance music is similar from work to work.

But I do have favorite genres and composers:

Medieval chant
Troubadours, trouvères
Machaut - _Messe_, narrative songs, motets
Dufay - masses, motets, chansons
Ockeghem - masses, motetes, chansons
Josquin - masses, motets, chansons
Palestrina - masses, motets, madrigals
Victoria - requiem, lamentations, motets
Lassus - masses, motets, madrigals
Gesualdo - madrigals
Dowland - psalms, songs, lachrimae


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Among my top 10 pieces before 1600 there is certainly

*Perotin: Viderunt omnes*










Listen to it and tell me, if someone had told you that this was 20th century music, you would have believed it or not ...


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Xisten267 said:


> Which are your top 10 pieces composed before 1600?


Top 10 is an interesting idea here, because it's like _hits_. Catchy tunes with nice rhythms. I may do more later but the mother of all hits is a song called _Mille Regretz_ by Josquin des Prez






and the father of catchy hits is a folk song called _Fortune my Foe_, which inspired a huge number of wonderful pieces by early composers, this for example by Luis Milan (the whole CD by Savall is a real joy to hear)






For me these songs should come with a health warning, once heard I can't get them out of my head for a long time.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Savall has several albums (Folia, Ostinato and one or two more) with some of the "hit tunes" of the Renaissance and variations on them.

And earlier (14th cent.) hit is "Douce dame jolie" that almost sounds like modern folkrock or so in some interpretations.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

And here's another one which is an earworm -- conde claros. You will need to listen to some Wagner or something to get it out of your head


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## Irrbloss (Jun 10, 2021)

Machaut - Felix virgo / Inviolata genitrix (Clerks’ Group)
Dufay – Ecclesie militantis (Gothic Voices)
Ockeghem – Permanent vierge (Blue Heron)
Busnoys – In hydraulis (Pomerium)
Josquin – Motet cycle O admirabile commercium (De labyrintho)
Mouton – Nesciens mater (Odhecaton)
Gombert – Lugebat David Absalon (Henry’s Eight)
De Rore – Calami sonum ferentes (Huelgas)
Marenzio – Crudele, acerba, inexorabil morte (Venexiana)
Gesualdo – Caligaverunt oculi mei (Compagnia del madrigale)


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## Xenophiliu (Jan 2, 2022)

My preferences lay towards madrigals, but I love instrumental Renaissance music too:

Isaac: Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen
Arcadelt: Il bianco e dolce cigno
Farmer: Fair Phyllis
Bennet: Weep, O Mine Eyes
Passereau: Il est bel et bon
Morley: My Bonny Lass She Smileth
Des Prez: Missa La Sol Fa Re Mi
Victoria: O Magnum mysterium
Tallis: If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments
Susato: Danserye

Monteverdi: Vespers (just after 1600)
He broached musical periods, but I thought I would throw this in regardless of the time stamp.

Martin Best Ensemble
I have enjoyed Best's various Medieval series from the 70's and 80's, particularly Thys Yool.

_edit - removed Purcell: In These Delightful Pleasant Groves_


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Purcell was way past the Renaissance... is the "In These Pleasant Groves" a throwback in style, perhaps?


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## Xenophiliu (Jan 2, 2022)

christomacin said:


> Purcell was way past the Renaissance... is the "In These Pleasant Groves" a throwback in style, perhaps?


You are, of course, correct. I guess it was rolling around in my head and didn't think twice about it.


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## josquindesprez (Aug 20, 2017)

Lots of really good masses, but here are some motets and keyboard works:

Dufay, O gemma, lux
Dufay, Vasilissa ergo gaude
Josquin, Nymphes, nappés
Josquin, Illibata dei virgo nutrix
Josquin (incorrectly attributed), Qui habitat
Machaut, Felix virgo
Solage, Fumeux fume par fumée
Tallis, Felix namque
Tallis, Fantasy
Tallis, Spem in alium


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

I'm going to add:

Dufay: Nuper Rosarum Flores


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## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

Here's a cross section of my favorite early music works/recordings, with YouTube links to the recordings as available …

John DUNSTAPLE: _*Veni sancte spiritus*_ (1416)
:: Hilliard Ensemble [EMI] ~ 6½ minutes





Leonel POWER: _*Anima mea liquefacta*_ (after 1425)
:: Stimmwerck [Aeolus] ~ 3½ minutes

Guillaume DUFAY: _*Ecclesiae militantis*_ (1431)
:: Orlando Consort [Metronome] ~ 5½ minutes

John PLUMMER: _*Anna mater matris Christi*_ (c. 1440)
:: Hilliard Ensemble [EMI] ~ 6 minutes





JOSQUIN des Prez: *Missa "L'homme armé" super voces musicales* (1490s)
:: Turner/Pro Cantione Antiqua [Archiv] ~ 34 minutes





Jean MOUTON: _*Nesciens mater*_
:: Phillips/Tallis Scholars [Gimell] ~ 5 minutes





Jacobus CLEMENS non Papa: _*Ego flos campi*_ (1550)
:: Turner/Pro Cantione Antiqua [Archiv] ~ 4 minutes





Thomas TALLIS: _*Spem in alium*_ (c. 1570)
:: Phillips/Tallis Scholars [Gimell] ~ 9½ minutes





Thomas TALLIS: _*Miserere nostri*_ (from «Cantiones Sacrae» 1575)
:: Skinner/Alamire [Obsidian] ~ 2½ minutes





Tomás Luis de VICTORIA: _*O vos omnes*_ (from Tenebrae Responsories, 1585)
:: Malcolm/Westminster Catherdral Choir [Argo] ~ 3 minutes


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Irrbloss said:


> Machaut - Felix virgo / Inviolata genitrix (Clerks' Group)
> Dufay - Ecclesie militantis (Gothic Voices)
> Ockeghem - Permanent vierge (Blue Heron)
> Busnoys - In hydraulis (Pomerium)
> ...


Remarkable choices and first post, welcome to Talk Classical .


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Thanks all for the input so far. I plan to hear your favorite choices in the next days.


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## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

-Von Bingen: O Virtus Sapientiae
-De Morales: Officium Defunctorum
-De Victoria: Missa Gaudeamus
-Desprez: Missa de Pange Lingua
-Tallis: Spem in Alium
-Machaut: Messe de notre Dame
-De Lassus: Lamentationes Jeremiah Prophetae
-Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum
-De La Rue: Missa Ave Sanctissima Maria
-Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli


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## StDior (May 28, 2015)

A quite secular top 10 recommended pre-1600 music: 

Machaut - Motets (M16, Se j'aim mon loyal ami / Lasse! comment oublieray / Pour quoy me bat mes maris? 
M21, Veni creator spiritus / Christe, quie lux es / Tribulatio proxima est et non est qui adjuvet 
M22 Plange, regni respublica / Tu qui gregem tuum ducis / Apprehende arma et scutum et exurge	
M23 Inviolata genitrix / Felix virgo / Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes) /Musica Nova/	
Dufay - Isorhythmic Motets	(Nuper rosarum flores, Ecclesie militantis, Salve flos Tusce, Fulgens iubar ecclesie)	/Huelgas Ensemble/
Anon - Le Manuscrit du Roi - Estampies & Danses Royales (La Seconde Estampie, La Quarte Estampie, La Quinte Estampie, Danse II, La Septime Estampie Real) /Hespèrion XXI & Jordi Savall/
Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli 
Hildegard - Ordo virtutum 
Ortiz - Trattado de glosas (Recercadas sobre el canto llano "La Spagna") /Jordi Savall/
Jaufré Rudel - Lanquan li jorn /Maria Lafitte, Ensemble Unicorn/
Walther von der Vogelweide - Under der linden /Augsburg Early Music Ensemble/
Anon - Cant de la Sibilla (Latin Sibyl) /Jordi Savall and Montserrat Figueras/
Peter Abelard - Planctus David super Saul et Ionatha /Augsburg Early Music Ensemble/

HM: 
Gabrieli G. - Sacrae Symphoniae 
Beatriz de Dia - A chantar m'er de so qu'eu no volria /Jordi Savall/
Anon - Ludus Danielis	(The Vessels Defiled: Jubilemus Regi nostro) /The Dufay Collective/
Machaut - Virelais (V4, Douce dame jolie, V21 Je vivroie liement)


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