William Byrd's Perch

Started by Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber, August 17, 2007, 08:14:55 PM

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Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber

A while ago someone asked if depression (etc) affected composers' music & I just thought of William Byrd, who was a catholic living in protestant England during the renaissance. He survived because QE1 protected him; even though he was a catholic it was worth keeping him around because he was such a good composer (so the story goes). I've only got one cd with anything by him:

I've had that album for quite a while but finally listened to it all loud enough to hear everything & I also followed along with the scores & I think I can finally appreciate his music. I especially like the opening track on the 1st disc. Now I think it would be worthwhile to get some more recordings of his stuff.  8)  I've also got a dvd of the Tallis Scholars

performing some of his music & also a short documentary on his life, etc as a catholic living in protestant England. I'll have to watch again now that I've changed my mind about this guy. :P
"I am, therefore I think." -- Nietzsche

val

I love the three Mass of Byrd, in special by the Tallis Scholars.

Regarding the harpsichord music, the recent recording of Leonhardt (2004) is a pure delight.

Archaic Torso of Apollo

Given my increasing interest in early keyboard music, it's only natural that I'm considering this recording:

Moroney plays Byrd



I think it's a selection from a big box of Byrd done by this harpsichordist. Anyone heard it?
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

david johnson

byrd is cool, no doubt about it.  i have some of his stuff myself.

dj

Archaic Torso of Apollo

Quote from: val on August 21, 2007, 01:20:25 AM
Regarding the harpsichord music, the recent recording of Leonhardt (2004) is a pure delight.

I just got this, and I agree. Wonderful disc on all counts. I'm changing my mind about harpsichords; if they continue to sound this good, I'll have nothing to complain about  :)

My only other Byrd keyboard recording is the notoriously unHIP Gould on piano, which I enjoy too. Ain't early Baroque wonderful?
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

TheGSMoeller

Not even a full page for Byrd!?!?!? :o

Oh well, I'll change that...

http://www.youtube.com/v/CW8y-cjX_gs

Archaic Torso of Apollo

Is Byrd the greatest British composer? I think he might be. In addition to the high quality and large amount of his work, he was the first great composer for keyboard, launching the tradition passed on via Sweelinck and the German Organ School to Bach and beyond. That's pretty significant.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

TheGSMoeller

"Byrd was the leading English composer of his generation, and together with his continental colleagues Giovanni Palestrina (c.1525-1594) and Orlando de Lassus (1532-1594), one of the acknowledged great masters of the late Renaissance. Byrd is considered by many the greatest English composer of any age, and indeed his substantial volume of high quality compositions in every genre of the time makes it easy to consider him the greatest composer of the Renaissance – his versatility and genius outshining those of Palestrina and Lassus in a self-evident way.


...Byrd's huge legacy of music – several hundred individual compositions – makes him one of the most brilliant composers in Western history. His vocal music has retained its popularity from his own time directly into ours, and his other music is now growing in appreciation as it is rediscovered. In particular, Byrd's position in the history of keyboard music is once again assured, and his contribution to the development of the North German virtuoso style is now firmly established." ~ Todd McComb (Classical.net 6/94)


http://www.youtube.com/v/Op8yU7Rl1TU

TheGSMoeller

#8
Quote from: James on August 18, 2007, 12:34:35 PM
another aspect is that Byrd was one of the keyboard geniuses...revolutionary in this regard, very inventive & brilliant...love that disc of Gould playing some of his works, along with the works of other contemporaries from around that time (Gibbons & Sweelinck)...


The Gould disc is wonderful, James.


http://www.youtube.com/v/vLzduBMCXJs&feature=related     http://www.youtube.com/v/xyfZOZwuFM8&feature=related

SonicMan46

Quote from: Velimir on November 05, 2009, 01:20:21 AM
Given my increasing interest in early keyboard music, it's only natural that I'm considering this recording:

Moroney plays Byrd

   

I think it's a selection from a big box of Byrd done by this harpsichordist. Anyone heard it?

Sure, I had the one CD compilation - excellent!  But replaced it w/ the entire 7-CD box; a less expensive but outstanding option is the 3-disc set w/ Elizabeth Farr; also, own some other Byrd, mostly masses w/ different groups - certainly the top English composer of his era, and I would also rank him high overall but hard to compare his music to that the the latter 19th & 20th century English composers?  :)

Archaic Torso of Apollo

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on October 04, 2011, 09:26:20 AM
"Byrd was the leading English composer of his generation, and [snipped]

It's funny, but I think this quote you dug up is something I once read, and then unconsciously paraphrased in my post above. He says it better than I did, so thanks for finding it.

Quote from: SonicMan46 on October 04, 2011, 09:45:31 AM
Sure, I had the one CD compilation - excellent!  But replaced it w/ the entire 7-CD box;

In the 2 years since I asked that question, I acquired the excellent 1-CD compilation, as well as the Leonhardt disc; and for the moment I'm happy with those two. The Big Byrd Box does look quite tempting.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

SonicMan46

Quote from: Velimir on October 05, 2011, 01:51:46 AM
In the 2 years since I asked that question, I acquired the excellent 1-CD compilation, as well as the Leonhardt disc; and for the moment I'm happy with those two. The Big Byrd Box does look quite tempting.

For those interested, esp. in the USA (not sure about shipping 'across the pond'), BRO (Berkshire Record Outlet) has the Byrd Box of 7 discs for just $42! See attachment - :)  P.S. place of my purchase last year, I believe.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: SonicMan46 on October 05, 2011, 06:09:58 AM
For those interested, esp. in the USA (not sure about shipping 'across the pond'), BRO (Berkshire Record Outlet) has the Byrd Box of 7 discs for just $42! See attachment - :)  P.S. place of my purchase last year, I believe.

Thanks!

TheGSMoeller




These are currently my most listened to Byrd recordings. Well played discs of music from different genres (consort, keyboard, sacred, songs).

jlaurson

Even Byrds need Lawes!





Dip Your Ears, No. 129 (Viols and Organ)

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/03/dip-your-ears-no-129-viols-and-organ.html

"Consorts to the Organ" confusingly means exactly what it says: a consort – of viols – to accompany a – chamber – organ. The consort makes the majority of the merry noise of the musicke of Billy Lawes (1602 – 1645)...

TheGSMoeller

Welcome to The Byrdhouse The Laws of Lawes  ;)

Thanks for the link, Jens. Phantasm is a good ensemble, have you heard their Byrd recordings?

jlaurson

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on March 16, 2013, 02:11:52 PM
Welcome to The Byrdhouse The Laws of Lawes  ;)

Thanks for the link, Jens. Phantasm is a good ensemble, have you heard their Byrd recordings?

Only the one on Linn, not the ones on Simax.

kishnevi

I posted about this CD on the Listening thread, but it deserves mention here:
[asin]B001CISXK8[/asin]
Y'all may remember a certain set of Victoria's works by this group. 

Well, this one--a selection of motets from the Gradualia for the feasts of the Blessed Sacrament and SS. Peter and Paul, with a few keyboard works (on organ) mixed in--is even better.

Que

#18
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 16, 2013, 07:12:12 PM
I posted about this CD on the Listening thread, but it deserves mention here:

Y'all may remember a certain set of Victoria's works by this group. 

Well, this one--a selection of motets from the Gradualia for the feasts of the Blessed Sacrament and SS. Peter and Paul, with a few keyboard works (on organ) mixed in--is even better.

I see Amazon's Giordano Bruno praises it as well - to me personally a very good sign indeed! :)

It goes on the wish list forthwith. 8) Thanks for pointing it out! :)

Q

Florestan

I know, I know, the mere alluding to Glenn Gould is anathema for you guys yet I can't help loving his performance of Byrde's music.

*runs as fast as possible*
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini