Missae - Missa "Ma Maistresse" Missa Quarti Toni "Mi-Mi"

This recording was released in 1962 on the French label Valois, capturing the polyphonic genius of Johannes Ockeghem. The production was part of an effort to bring the complex, interwoven vocal textures of the 15th-century Franco-Flemish school to a modern audience through the skilled interpretation of the Ensemble Polyphonique de l'O.R.T.F., led by Charles Ravier. It serves as a significant artifact of the mid-century early music revival, which sought to treat Renaissance masses as vital, living musical works rather than static historical documents.

The album showcases two of Ockeghem's most celebrated masses, characterized by his signature intricate counterpoint and expansive melodic lines. The 'Missa Ma Maistresse' and 'Missa Quarti Toni' are emblematic of the composer's mastery of the cantus firmus technique. The release was well-received by critics and musicologists of the era, who valued the recording for its stylistic clarity and the ensemble’s commitment to capturing the ethereal, resonant quality of liturgical music from the late medieval transition.