The Early Music Club (EMC)

[San Antone]

The Early Music Club was created for various reasons already mentioned.

There used to be a Medieval thread, which attracted very little activity .
There was also a Renaissance thread with more activity. But many are interested in music from both periods and a distinction is sometimes difficult to make. As a result distinction between the threads became blurred and the decision was made to merge the various threads to this general Early Music thread. And the concept has worked wonderfully well, offering a home for short discussions on various composers or on the performing practices.

I am actually not that keen on the shortlived one-off topics that attract not more than a handful of responses and then dissappear. But that's me.

Q

Thanks, Que.  I was not aware of the history of this thread, but I agree with the decision you cite 100%.

[HIPster]

The Early Music Club was created for various reasons already mentioned.

There used to be a Medieval thread, which attracted very little activity .
There was also a Renaissance thread with more activity. But many are interested in music from both periods and a distinction is sometimes difficult to make. As a result distinction between the threads became blurred and the decision was made to merge the various threads to this general Early Music thread. And the concept has worked wonderfully well, offering a home for short discussions on various composers or on the performing practices.

I am actually not that keen on the shortlived one-off topics that attract not more than a handful of responses and then dissappear. But that's me.

Q

Thanks, Que.  I was not aware of the history of this thread, but I agree with the decision you cite 100%.

+1   

[prémont]

I'll be interested to hear what people think at the level of the sound of the recording, the sonority of the voices and the engineering of the recording. Initial impressions are that it's a bit of a challenge but nothing follows.  I kind of can't get past the sound to think about other things.

I have the impression (on my usual system) that CD I is recorded (or produced) at a bit higher dynamic level than CD II, but this can easily be corrected with the volume control. The recordings seem to have taken place in rather "cold" acoustic surroundings, but the voices have a satisfying presence and outward projection. My objection would rather be the character of the voices, which causes them to blend less well IMO. Concerning this aspect I much prefer the Clerks group.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

I really like Lambert de Sayve ,as far as I know there are two release of this composer, both I adore.

De Sayve: Messe du sacre de l'empereur Matthias by coeur de chambre de Namur, very good, But there better Capella Flamenca
Lambert de Sayve sacred music.

These two album are gems for later fan of Franco-Flemish school of polyphony, thee last breath of renaissance, that is not so well know to this day few composers I.e Géry de Ghersem and perhaps some names I don't recalled.

But these fifth era of Flemish bordering baroque are so captivating, sophisticated and darn fascinating.

I would recommend to anyone interrest in Franco-Flemish these record, the Capella flamenca is incredible beauty sacred music, lovely voice, tasty instrumental if we can say ornememts. Music never sound so sexy to my here and classy, real fine composer two incredible release, trust me whit a blindfold on you got to hear this to believe it.

Musicologist should investigated more last era of Franco-Flemish godz because there music is candy to my ears.What do you think either way or the classical composer(Lambert de Sayve) is a fabulous composers or these recording are the cherry on a sundae.

[Que]

I presume this is the recording by the Capilla Flamenca you are referring to:

[asin]B000X1D2QU[/asin]

Thanks for the recommendation. 
The fact that he was a pupil of Philippe de Monte, is almost self recommending!

Q

[Mandryka]

I have the impression (on my usual system) that CD I is recorded (or produced) at a bit higher dynamic level than CD II, but this can easily be corrected with the volume control. The recordings seem to have taken place in rather "cold" acoustic surroundings, but the voices have a satisfying presence and outward projection. My objection would rather be the character of the voices, which causes them to blend less well IMO. Concerning this aspect I much prefer the Clerks group.

There's something very intense and colourful about the sound, it's an oil painting not a watercolour. It makes me uncomfortable, though I'm sure I'll come round in time, I usually do.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

I love what been done whit Goudimel on Erato, I have the superb vinyl release in 1970, It's very very great, the voice caress my ears like velvet, Claude Goudimel is overlook as drab too religious and boring by noobs but is polyphony is psalms are remarkable,very enjoyable.

If you collected vinyl that is on of my favorite Lp, yeah I know it's preachy but so what, the music so delightful, I consider this album a gem.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Newbies to renaissance, wanna take the elevator and listen to state of the art late renaissance of Franco-Flemish, hmm I though so hey, so you need to explore Supraphon label what a label of choice and taste that is for renaissance recordings, they never displease me in the past I consider them among the best label.

They made me discover Carolus Luython and so much more I feel thankful to the Czechs, this label of quality, what do you think EMC ?

World wide posters? is Supraphon in you're eyes a darn good label of of the best of best.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

If I understand what I heard from musicologist themselves  Giosseffo Zarlino had follower's.

Most composer after Zarlino though heck Zarlino modulation was too complicated, most except...

Carlo Gesualdo, see his pallet of colors the Chromatic scale, first time I heard Zarlino and after ward Gesualdo I drawn parallels in there sounds spectrum both were bold audacious may I say daring adventurous.

I don't know why but these two composer seem share one or more character there were innovator none are almost none try to emulated...

I would like to do another I.e
The fabulous progressive-rock Band called King Crimson have you notice, you don't here a lot of influence or cover band of them because, they were so skilled complex and daring that people could not emulated them in the end.

Thus said and meaning nothing in Late renaissance sound like these two, the music on both side is pretty much kaviar of thee best!

I suspect there is a correlation between these two and not just one , more than one.

First time I heard Zarlino I was like hmm jeez this sound kinda familiar ground to me a Gesualdo fanboy, the music was easy to love and to get into just like gesualdo was for me.

It lead me to the following composers afterward like De Wert and Sigismondo d'India(my eyes at this point were popping out I was flabbergeist).

I try to connect the dots in space and time, between sonic universe of z to y to x etc, to figure out whom use more audacity vivacity colors and so on.

So I ask ardent musicologist do you see\hear what I see or hear hmm.

These guys, these mention composer brought the lights of renaissance one step beyond a giant leaps for classical music.

So in the end my question during there era did any composer of his time try to emulated him  same question for Zarlino?

[Florestan]

(Cross post from the WAYLT thread)



One thing that strikes me is that Renaissance music never seems to go beyond Andante in terms of tempo, with the most common being Adagio, nay, actually Largo. Also, long and very long note values. And all that, no matter if the subject is Orlando's chivalric exploits or Kyrie eleison. How come, I wonder?

[San Antone]

Wonderful recording of Spanish vihuela music from c. 1500s. I especially like the music of Luys de Narvaez.

[San Antone]

I am a fan of Gerard Zuchetto's recordings of the music of the troubadours.  For as long as I can remember they have not been available on Spotify, but now a different series of the recordings are available. 

Wonderful music, very well done, IMO.

[Mandryka]

(Cross post from the WAYLT thread)



One thing that strikes me is that Renaissance music never seems to go beyond Andante in terms of tempo, with the most common being Adagio, nay, actually Largo. Also, long and very long note values. And all that, no matter if the subject is Orlando's chivalric exploits or Kyrie eleison. How come, I wonder?

This is a difficult question to answer without waffle. Tactus blah waffle . . . heart beat . . . waffle waffle  . . .

There's also a unity of tempo -- the music rarely changes tempo for a few bars -- I have no idea why.

Once you get to Monteverdi things are different.

[Florestan]

This is a difficult question to answer without waffle. Tactus blah waffle . . . heart beat . . . waffle waffle  . . .

My question was serious.

[Mandryka]

Repetitive, simple and long.  Reverdie somehow turn what could easily be stupefyingly dull music into something very entertaining, with colourful instruments and gutsy singing, performing them with a slightly modal feeling.




Hilliard take four of them a capella and slowly, the result is rapt and brings the music closer to chant than to troubadour song. Solemn, worthy, humourless, but an interesting experiment, mercifully they choose short ones,  I'm not sure how successful it is, but it is interesting. Certainly the way they take Oi mi lasso - as a dramatic duet - is promising.

[Mandryka]

Less dancing, weightier sound than La Reverdie, and incisively phrased. This makes for some really memorable moments from a sonic point of view, especially for me when they have two or more men's voices singing in quasi-homophonic music together - those tracks alone make the recording valuable for me.  Some pieces are taken by Patrizia Bovi singing alone, her vocality seems to me to be derived from later music, she projects as if she's singing de Rore or Monteverdi even. Like her or no, what she does, or rather how she does or, seems to me to be a bit out of place on the recording - comme un cheveux sur la soupe as the say in France. Micrologus tackle only shorter pieces. There are a handful of instrumental pieces, which don't interest me so I skipped them.

(Can anyone let me have the review in Fanfare? Resolution for 2020: subscribe to Fanfare, if I can find out how to do it.)

[Mandryka]

This recording includes lauds from the c14th century and later. It's very much of the style of his Ciconia and Febus Avant, a style which I like, and some of the musicians are in common. Indeed he even includes a pieces by Francesco Landini and Jacopo de Bologna.  To some extent he's eliminated the popular earthy element from the performance, everything is so polished and beautiful sounding. Anyway, this is a lovely recording of pleasant music, and it gives some insight into the development of the genre. I find myself particularly appreciating Katelijne Van Laethem.

The English translation of the booklet is problematic -- I ended up having to read the French.

[Que]

So.... Europadisc is having an ARCANA sale: https://www.europadisc.co.uk/offer/2556/Arcana.htm

Some interesting titles with 40-50% off.
I was wondering if I could I have some feedback on these box sets? 







Q

[prémont]

So.... Europadisc is having an ARCANA sale: https://www.europadisc.co.uk/offer/2556/Arcana.htm

Some interesting titles with 40-50% off.
I was wondering if I could I have some feedback on these box sets? 

Even at full price these three sets are mandatory for someone interested in Italian Trecento and Ars Subtilior.

[Mandryka]

So.... Europadisc is having an ARCANA sale: https://www.europadisc.co.uk/offer/2556/Arcana.htm

Some interesting titles with 40-50% off.
I was wondering if I could I have some feedback on these box sets? 







Q

All on spotify.

By the way, I just noticed that Mala Punica have made a recording of music by James Weeks with Exaudi Ensemble



(It's a thing by James Weeks called Mala Punica!)