A record recorded in my beloved Leipzig, a city I know very well. When I was studying medieval history I would have been quite impressed with this record. It is a good recording, I must admit. But lately I don’t listen to this that much anymore.
Guillaume de Machaut is considered to be the greatest composer of the 14th century. He is also unique in his worldliness. In an age when most intellectual works come from the clergy, De Machaut is different. His only surviving religious work is the mass he wrote for the Notre Dame in Paris. And that is the reason why I liked him so much when I was still studying: his music is vibrant and festive. It feels like this is music of the people, and it sends you back to a different time.