Favorite Early Keyboard Composer

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Vote for 2, as 3 seems too many for this obscure (but fascinating) genre, while 1 is too restrictive.

[prémont]

Vote for 2, as 3 seems too many for this obscure (but fascinating) genre, while 1 is too restrictive.

One question: Does "keyboard# only include harpsichord and clavichord? And not organ?

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

One question: Does "keyboard# only include harpsichord and clavichord? And not organ?

Organ is keyboard, it counts.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Wow, 1.5 people voted (including me)! It's obvious this is a topic that generates a lot of passion among GMGers!

[TheGSMoeller]

Not familiar with every name on the list, but Byrd has always been a favorite composer of mine. His keyboard works are wonderful.

[Todd]

I've not yet heard Bull, Cabezon, Farnaby, or Tomkins, but of the ones I have heard, Sweelinck is far and away the best of the lot, one of the great keyboard geniuses ever.  The rest of the lot is pretty darned good, too.  Byrd would be second here.

[TheGSMoeller]

Forgot to vote for two, Gibbons received the second.

[SonicMan46]

Well, some great KB composers (below a listing w/ first names & dates) - NOW, the 'other' would be a BIG category in this era of late Renaissance and early Baroque, but I'd have to agree w/ Todd on Sweelinck - I had 3-4 other choices for second in this poll and simply picked Froberger - Dave

Bull, John (1562/3-1628)
Byrd, William (1540/3-1623)
Cabezon, Antonio (1510-1566)
Frescolbaldi, Girolamo (1583-1643)
Froberger, Johann (1616-1667)
Gibbons, Orlando (1583-1625)
Farnaby, Giles (1560-1640)
Sweelinck, Jan (1562-1621)
Tomkins, Thomas (1572-1656)
Other

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Hooray, the thread lives after all...

, Sweelinck is far and away the best of the lot, one of the great keyboard geniuses ever.  [...] Byrd would be second here.

These are the 2 I voted for. They are both great composers, and I can't decide which of them is greater...perhaps Sweelinck shows greater genius in certain individual pieces, but Byrd's achievement may be more varied and comprehensive.

[prémont]

My vote goes to Froberger and Scheidemann, but there are many others, some of them omitted from the list e.g. Titelouze, Weckmann and Kerll. The problem with these is, that relatively few of their works have survived, but the few we have are on a very high artistic level.

[Karl Henning]

I had to vote for Frescobaldi and Sweelinck.

[Wakefield]

It's impossible to decide among Cabezón, Frescobaldi, Froberger and Sweelinck.

Therefore, I voted at random for Frescobaldi and Froberger. 

[71 dB]

Wow, 1.5 people voted (including me)! It's obvious this is a topic that generates a lot of passion among GMGers!

It's hard to vote without knowing the music of most of these composers. I have a Naxos twofer of Frescobaldi's KB music and another Naxos disc of Tomkins KB & Consort Music. I can tell I know next to nothing about early keyboard music. Why would I vote? Most of the time I see these GMG polls I think "Who the hell knows all these works/composers?" 

I understand these composers are "essential" if you are into early keyboard music, but how many of us here is?

Anyway, Sweelinck is a composer I am interested of becase his teaching had a large influence on German middle baroque composers.

[71 dB]

My vote goes to Froberger and Scheidemann, but there are many others, some of them omitted from the list e.g. Titelouze, Weckmann and Kerll. The problem with these is, that relatively few of their works have survived, but the few we have are on a very high artistic level.

Weckmann and Kerll aren't that "early" anymore. Weckmann's teacher Jacob Praetorius is still "early". Weckmann is among my favorite composers. Kerll's music I don't have, unfortunately. 

[prémont]

Weckmann and Kerll aren't that "early" anymore. Weckmann's teacher Jacob Praetorius is still "early". Weckmann is among my favorite composers. Kerll's music I don't have, unfortunately. 

Since Weckmann isn´t but three years younger than Froberger he must be early too. And Kerll is only eleven years younger than Froberger. But the word "early" is not well defined in this poll. Some think that early is everything before 1750. F.i. Donington in his "The Interpretation of Early Music".

[Sammy]

For me it's Froberger and Cabezon.  If Scheidemann had been on the list, I would have had a hard time making the selections.

[HIPster]

Frescobaldi and Froberger for me. . .

I need to check out some Sweelinck!   

Is this an okay place for recommendations?  Thanks.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Yeah it's OK.  Good place to start:

[springrite]

Froberger and Byrd for me.

[SonicMan46]

Yeah it's OK.  Good place to start:

   

Own the Glen Wilson & also have Alina Rotaru which has received excellent reviews (little duplication between those 2 discs); NOW, Harry & Que seen to feel the 9-CD box (above far right) is superlative - multiple different keyboard performers and apparently outstanding notes, but unfortunately OOP - Que pointed out the German Amazon site w/ a 50 Euro offer - about $70+ bucks for me and S&H 'across the pond' - will just add to my 'wish list' at the moment.  Dave