Recent releases of plainchant

Extract

This year has brought new issues from several long-time contributors to the chant discography. Ranking with the abbey of Solesmes in sheer quantity of chant recordings is Schola Hungarica, whose new disc is titled ‘The Holy Lady of Chartres’ (no. 1 in the list below). Although this is not billed ‘Magyar Gregorianum’ as the last entry was (2001, no. 10), it does in fact include an Office originating in Chartres that is preserved only in Hungary. Matins responsories for the common of the Blessed Virgin include three responsories attributed to Fulbert of Chartres (two of which were recorded by Ensemble Venance Fortunat, 1993, no. 18, since reissued as L'Empreinte Digitale ED 13036). The third responsory, Ad nutum Domini, receives its first chant recording here. This is a set of Matins responsories in numerical modal order. Despite the neat fit of Fulbert's three pieces with the rest, the notes decline to assert that this integral set of responsories originated at Chartres. Masses for Purification and Assumption from two Chartres sources, Provins 12 and Chartres 520, fill out the disc.