Machaut

Following the great success of their first Delos recording, the GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, under the direction of its music director Tim Keeler, now turns its attention to the most famous composer of the 14th century, Guillaume de Machaut. Although Machaut was born into anonymity around 1300, he would go on to enjoy a brilliant career during which he held various prestigious positions, including at the Cathedral of Reims. This album presents music from both facets of the composer’s life, which we might view as incompatible today. In the "Messe de Nostre Dame," we experience Machaut as a pious cleric of a major cathedral. Songs such as "Douce dame jolie" and "Riches d’amour," on the other hand, show Machaut as a courtly poet and composer who sings of the emotional experiences of secular love for his noble patrons.