Jean Guyot, who also went by the last name Castileti, was from the Belgian city of Liège and began his career there, but eventually found employment with the Hapsburg court and settled in Vienna until Emperor Ferdinand I died and Maximilian II took over and purged the chapel, installing his own musicians and composers. At that point Guyot returned to Liège and seems to have remained there until his death. This program–sumptuously sung by the male five-voice Cinquecento ensemble–ends with Guyot’s Te Deum laudamus setting, the last known of the composer’s works; leading up to it is a selection of motets from earlier in his career. Libraries with a collecting interest in Renaissance music should not hesitate–Guyot is rarely recorded, and as far as I can tell this is the only full album dedicated to his music.

CD Hotlist, USA