The Early Music Club (EMC)

Started by zamyrabyrd, October 06, 2007, 10:31:49 PM

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FideLeo

Quote from: jochanaan on October 08, 2007, 10:12:34 PM

Be sure not to miss The Play of Daniel.  (Has that been recorded since the classic New York Pro Musica recording with Noah Greenberg?)

Yes.  At least once in the version by Harp Consort on DHM.


HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

zamyrabyrd

Nice visuals with Gregorian chant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MbDqc3x97k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pl4znn-VrU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGdtll3KAqw

In general I prefer chant, plain, that is without instruments. Some of the other clips have organ, even harmonized (eeek!)

ZB
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one."

― Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

Scriptavolant

I'm not an expert but I'm trying to expand my knowledge of medieval music, especially songs. So far I'd recommend this one, an absolute favorite of mine.

Sequentia, Love songs of the Middle Ages.





beer

Hey

Not sure if it's meant to be dark but I watched this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1awjmVjTLm8) and I really like this kind of music. Same with the Lachrimae of Dowland. Or Praetorius' Bransles. Well they're dance music so I guess the dark theme is my own interpretation and they're actually renaissance but you know what I mean.

I need some pointers though because I couldn't really find albums that are themed around this kind of music

Renfield

We've got a member who uses Josquin des Prez as his forum nickname, so I suspect you might have a recommendation or two, before long.

And if not from him, we've more than a few people who listen to this sort of music. ;)

(However, I'm not one of them. My current listening starts much later, historically. So I can't really help you, beyond pointing you to those who might.)

Josquin des Prez

#25
Quote from: beer on November 09, 2007, 02:48:59 AM
Well they're dance music so I guess the dark theme is my own interpretation

Not necessarily. Mille Regretz is actually a French chanson, a polyphonic vocal genre of medieval origin which is characterized by the use of so called 'formes fixes', consisting of complex patterns of repetition of poetic verses (with refrain) fixed in different specific forms (chief among them the ballade, rondeau and virelai). Those chansons were not dance pieces, and are mostly malinconic in nature (which i believe is the word you were looking for).

The number of chansons (along with their foreign counterparts, particularly those of Italian origin) written during the middle ages (and early renaissance) is vast, but alas, not well represented in recordings, both in quantity or quality.

That said, there are still many notable exceptions out there which i think will probably be of your satisfaction.

My first recommendation is a newly released collection of chansons by Gilles Binchois performed by the Bjon Schmelzer ensemble which i think is one of the greatest recordings made to date for this type of repertory. Binchois is probably the last truly great master of this form, though there are many other great examples from all the foremost renaissance composers.

Next, Le vray remede damour, a collection of songs composed by Guillaume de Machaut, arguably, the first master of this genre, is another seminal centerpiece for this type of music. This one employs a plethora of different instrumental combinations which results in a greater array of colors compared to the usual viol performances (albeit this was usually the instrument of choice, after the human voice of course).

Matteo da Perugia (also known as 'Perusio'), possibly the greatest of Italian representatives is also another great choice, particularly this recording performed by the great Huelgas Ensemble. Da Perugia is actually a member of the so called 'Ars Subtilior', a group of chansonniers who focused on all sorts of complex rhythmical patterns and explorations, in effect making this the 'avant-garde' of medieval times.

Aside from Mille Regretz, Josquin put out a decent number of chansons, many of which can be found in this recording by the Ensemble Janequin. While the performance is excellent, the ensemble made a few flawed decisions first by cutting out all the repeats and second by setting some of the songs without voice, which recent research suggests was never really the case as previously assumed (Actually, the Machaut disc i mentioned above share some of the same problems but the results work so well it actually works quit well, plus they leave plenty of space for the some of the songs to breath). It's too bad because the melodies are really beautiful, as customary with Josquin. Hopefully some of the more recent ensembles, particularly the Bjon Schmelzer will pick this up and give the music full consideration.

I think this ought to suffice as an introduction, let me know if you are interested in more recommendations.

Renfield

And there you have it! 8)

In fact, I might as well end up using that recommendation myself, should I eventually decide to expand my listening towards music of that type and era. Thanks, Josquin. :)

bwv 1080

For actual medieval music that has a heavy sound I would recommend the 12th century composer Perotin.  The ECM disc with the Hilliard Ensemble is the main one that is available

Josquin des Prez

Quote from: bwv 1080 on November 09, 2007, 07:06:07 PM
For actual medieval music that has a heavy sound I would recommend the 12th century composer Perotin.  The ECM disc with the Hilliard Ensemble is the main one that is available

And the only disc anybody needs. Personally, i'd argue the heaviest recording of medieval music ever made is Machaut's Messe de Notre Dame as performed by the Ensemble Organum. Rough, rugged and mean as hell, as god intended.  ;D

Actually, almost everything the Ensemble Organum recorded is a must have. They are just that good.

bwv 1080

Two other good Medieval discs are the Ensemble PAN recordings:

The Island of St. Hylarion: Music of Cyprus, 1413-1422
Secular Music from the Chantilly Codex


FideLeo

#30
I think what OP wants is some recommendations on Renaissance consort music,
or, more exactly, consort arrangements of Renaissance polyphony.  I'd say go for
single albums with music by Agricola, Byrd, Cabezon...Ortiz, Willaert, etc.  Or simply go for
good anthologies such as the España Antigua box with performances by Jordi Savall,
Canto a mi Caballero by Skip Sempe, Io canterei d'amor by Paolo Pandolfo
or this beautiful album performed by Hille Perle, Doulce memoire.



Talking of doulce memoire, there is an early music group that goes by exactly
this name and their album of Renaissance dance music is really worthwhile,
however they are not so much a viol consort as a woodwind band and
the music is more grandiose than dark as desired, but all in all a
perfect introductory album to this repertory in the great Dorian sound.
Most of their other albums were released on Astree or Naive label,
and equally good as well. :)




HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

beer

Interesting recommendations, especially from josquin and treverso.

However, and now I see I didnt stress this enough in my starters post, I'm looking only for instrumental music here. Not singing. I listened to sample music of the albums above I could find and they all contained song.

I love song, I love Josquin, Byrd, Morales, Willaert etc., but this time I'm looking for purely instumental, if possible string instruments only even, like in the YouTube example in my first post.

I'm just not in the mood for songs right now  ;)

FideLeo

#32
Quote from: beer on November 11, 2007, 01:20:48 AM
I love song, I love Josquin, Byrd, Morales, Willaert etc., but this time I'm looking for purely instumental, if possible string instruments only even, like in the YouTube example in my first post.

Yes the recordings of "consort" pieces I recommended above are very much instrumental music - "Doulce memoire" performed by Hille Perl, for example, has mostly one or more viols (like those you saw in the youtube video).  Also sixteenth and seventeenth century English composers wrote original works for the viol consort: Byrd, Gibbons, Dowland, Jenkins, Lawes, Locke, Farrabosco, Purcell and so on so forth.  Ensembles like Hesperion XX, Fretwork or Phantasm have recorded tons in the kind of music you are looking for.  Check them out.

ps. Sorry about the "broken" links above; they are now fixed. 
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

beer

Could you exactly pinpoint some of the instrumental pieces please. I semi-randomly tried some of the samples on the amazon site but some didnt work and the ones that did work were all song.

Lethevich

Quote from: beer on November 11, 2007, 11:13:46 PM
Could you exactly pinpoint some of the instrumental pieces please. I semi-randomly tried some of the samples on the amazon site but some didnt work and the ones that did work were all song.

Most medieval/renaissance instrumental music CDs that I have heard generally feature ensemble as well as ensemble/singer works on the same disc, so it may be difficult to find any without singing. Savall has recorded a lot of Iberian instrumental music, but again, I can't think of any disc without voices included in some pieces. His music making is generally not what could be called "dark" anyway, it's joyous.

The only disc without any singing that I can recall offhand is this one, (and an alternate site). It's generic court music, not too lively sounding. I would also recommend listening to Amazon samples (if there are any) of discs performed by Fretwork, a viol consort which has been recorded many times. This disc may be of interest, but even this has singing on some tracks (but not most of them IIRC)...
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

beer

Thanks man, I found some good pieces between these.


Unfortunately I kinda lost my interest in this music again for the time being hehe. But I will definitely remember this thread when it is revived in a few months...

Kullervo

Diverging from the "dark" medieval music thread, I thought it would be a good idea to help beginners (like me!) find an adequate foothold in the world of pre-Baroque vocal music. Thus far my listening has been extremely limited to a few scattered pieces by Tallis and Palestrina.

What are some pieces of this period with which no one interested in this sort of music can do without?

Lethevich

#37
Renaissance is so much harder than Medieval due to the sheer amount of surviving stuff :D Some may disagree, but while excellent full-priced discs should not be ignored, there are enough budget priced ones by very good ensembles to focus just on cheaper discs while you are getting a taste.

Labels like Virgin/Veritas (twofers), Gimell (has some cheap compilations), ASV (tends to sell for relatively low amounts on Amazon Marketplace), Hyperion/Helios, Harmonia Mundi/Musique d'Abord, Naxos and others all have great ensembles and a wide range of music. It sounds like a cop-out to just say investigate the big names on these labels, but such explorative investigation discovers both masterworks and hidden gems, rather than being directed towards the warhorses (although with early music, that term applies much less, given how under-recorded some of the greatest works are). A little list of some of the more prominent composers of the era (and a few suggestions):

Palestrina - Masses (he wrote many, and the quality is quite uniform, making it not worth collecting too many initially), motets (ditto)
Byrd - Masses for 3, 4 and 5 voices (it's interesting to compare these to Palestrina's - rather different, and more spare in style)
Victoria - Requiem
Dufay - Masses (IIRC most of the motets are quite early works)
Lassus - Most of the (huge amount of surviving) sacred choral music by him seems to be fascinating
Tallis - Lamentations of Jeremiah. Many riches to be found in his Latin motets
Binchois - Chansons (there's a very nice Virgin Veritas disc of these, coupled with Lescurel)
Gesualdo - Madrigals
Josquin - His entire work is strong, including masses, motets and chansons
Ockeghem - Masses and Requiem

Deliberately looking for discs with many different composers on is also a good way to familiarise - there are many of these pick 'n' mix type CDs available. Generally the real "meat" of the genre lays in the motets (and chansons, lieder, madrigals, etc, all slightly varying forms), with masses fewer in number depending on the composers. Lassus and Palestrina have many dozens surviving, Byrd only three.

Edit: super budget collections are rare in this repertoire, but two notable ones are this, and this.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

beer

Dont miss out on Cristobal de Morales (Missa Si bona suscepimus, Officium Defunctorum)

Mark

Put simply, Corey, try just about anything from Naxos' MASSIVE early music series. I've listed a fairly comprehensive selection below (with catalogue numbers), though this isn't everything that's available: I can see on my shelves a further four or five discs from this series which aren't featured below. I've highlighted in red the titles I own:

Adorate Deum / Gregorian Chant from the Proper of the Mass 8.550711
AGRICOLA: Fortuna desperata 8.553840
A-la-mi-re Manuscripts (The): Flemish Polyphonic Treasures 8.554744
ALFONSO X: Cantigas de Santa Maria 8.553133
Ambrosian Chant 8.553502
ARIOSTI: 6 Cantatas / LOCATELLI: Trio Sonata in E minor / VIVALDI: Trio Sonata in D major 8.557573
At the Sign of the Crumhorn: Flemish Songs and Dance Music 8.554425
BANCHIERI: Il Zabaione Musicale 8.553785
BENEVOLO: Missa Azzolina / Magnificat / Dixit Dominus 8.553636
Black Madonna 8.554256
BYRD / TALLIS: Masses 8.553239
BYRD: Consort and Keyboard Music / Songs and Anthems 8.550604
BYRD: Masses for Four and Five Voices 8.550574
CABEZON: Tientos y Glosados 8.554836
CAMPION: Lute Songs 8.553380
Cancionero Musical de Palacio: Music of the Spanish Court 8.553536
Carmina Burana 8.554837
CAVALIERI: Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo 8.554096-97
CHARPENTIER: Motets / Litanies a la Vierge 8.554453
CHARPENTIER: Noels and Christmas Motets 8.554514
Chominciamento di gioia: Virtuoso Dance Music 8.553131
Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century 8.553618
DALL'AQUILA / da CREMA: Ricercars / Intabulations / Dances 8.550778
DOWLAND: Consort Music and Songs 8.553326
DOWLAND: Flow My Tears and Other Lute Songs 8.553381
DUFAY: Chansons 8.553458
DUFAY: Missa L' homme arme 8.553087
Early Music (The Glory of) 8.554064
Early Venetian Lute Music 8.553694
Elizabethan Songs and Consort Music 8.554284
English Madrigals and Songs 8.553088
French Chansons 8.550880
FRESCOBALDI: Fantasie, Book 1 / Ricercari / Canzoni Francesi 8.553547-48
GABRIELI: Music for Brass, Vol. 1 8.553609
GABRIELI: Music for Brass, Vol. 2 8.553873
GESUALDO: Sacred Music for Five Voices (Complete) 8.550742
GIBBONS: Choral and Organ Music 8.553130
GIBBONS: Consort and Keyboard Music / Songs and Anthems 8.550603
Gregorian Chant for Good Friday 8.550952
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN: Heavenly Revelations 8.550998
HOLBORNE / ROBINSON: Pavans and Galliards 8.553874
HUME: Captain Humes Poeticall Musicke, Vol. 1 8.554126
HUME: Captain Humes Poeticall Musicke, Vol. 2 8.554127
Introduction to Early Music (An) 8.551203
JENKINS: All in a Garden Green 8.550687
JOHNSON: Lute Music 8.550776
JOSQUIN: Missa L'homme arme / Ave Maria / Absalon, fili mi 8.553428
LA RUE: Mass of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin / Missa Pascale 8.554656
LA RUE: Magnificats (Complete) / 3 Salve Reginas 8.557896-97
Lamentations (Oxford Camerata) 8.550572
Lamenti Barocchi, Vol. 1 8.553318
Lamenti Barocchi, Vol. 2 8.553319
Lamenti Barocchi, Vol. 3 8.553320
LASSUS: Lagrime di San Pietro 8.553311
LASSUS: Masses for Five Voices / Infelix ego 8.550842
LAWES: Consort Music for Viols, Lutes and Theorbos 8.550601
LEONIN / PEROTIN: Sacred Music from Notre-Dame Cathedral 8.557340
Let Voices Resound: Songs from Piae Cantiones 8.553578
LOBO, D. / CARDOSO: Portuguese Requiem Masses 8.550682
MACHAUT: Messe de Nostre Dame (La) / Le Voir Dit 8.553833
Medieval Carols 8.550751
MILAN / NARVAEZ: Music for Vihuela 8.553523
MILANO: Fantasias, Ricercars and Duets 8.550774
MONTEVERDI: Ballo Delle Ingrate / Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda 8.553322
MONTEVERDI: Canzonette 8.553316
MONTEVERDI: Madrigals, Book 1 (Il Primo Libro de Madrigali, 1587) and Secular Manuscript Works 8.555307
MONTEVERDI: Madrigals, Book 2 (Il Secondo Libri de' Madrigali, 1590) 8.555308
MONTEVERDI: Madrigals, Book 3 (Il Terzo Libro de' Madrigali, 1592) 8.555309
MONTEVERDI: Orfeo (L') 8.554094-95
MONTEVERDI: Scherzi Musicali a Tre Voci 8.553317
MONTEVERDI: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin 8.550662-63
Music of the Italian Renaissance 8.550615
Music of the Spanish Renaissance 8.550614
Music of the Troubadours 8.554257
OBRECHT: Missa Caput / Salve Regina 8.553210
OCKEGHEM: Missa L'homme arme / JOSQUIN: Memor esto verbi tui 8.554297
OCKEGHEM: Requiem / Missa Prolationum 8.554260
Oh Flanders Free: Music of the Flemish Renaissance 8.554516
On the Way to Bethlehem: Music of the Medieval Pilgrim 8.553132
PAISIBLE: 6 Setts of Aires 8.555045
PALESTRINA / LASSUS: Masses 8.550836
PALESTRINA: Missa L'homme arme / CAVAZZONI: Ricercari 8.553315
PALESTRINA: Missa Papae Marcelli 8.550573
PALESTRINA: Missa Papae Marcelli / ALLEGRI: Miserere 8.553238
PALESTRINA: Missa Sine Nomine / Missa L'Homme Arme / Motets 8.553314
Paschale Mysterium: Gregorian Chant for Easter 8.553697
PERTI: Lamentations / Liturgy for Good Friday 8.553321
PHILIPS: Cantiones Sacrae / Quinis Vocibus 8.555056
Piae Cantiones: Latin Song in Medieval Finland 8.554180
Portuguese Polyphony 8.553310
PRAETORIUS: Dances from Terpsichore 8.553865
Psaumes de la Reforme 8.553025
Renaissance Masterpieces 8.550843
Royal Songbook: Spanish Music from the Time of Columbus 8.553325
Salve Festa Dies: Gregorian Chant for Seasons of the Year 8.550712
SCHUTZ: Christmas Story / Cantiones Sacrae 8.553514
SCHUTZ: Psalmen Davids 8.553044
Sephardic Romances: Traditional Jewish Music from Spain 8.553617
TALLIS: Mass for Four Voices / Motets 8.550576
THE ITALIAN DRAMATIC LAMENT 8.557538
TOMKINS / GIBBONS / BYRD: Consort and Keyboard Music 8.553241
TOMKINS: Choral and Organ Works 8.553794
TOMKINS: Consort Music for Viols and Voices 8.550602
Tugend und Untugend: German Music from the Time of Luther 8.553352
TYE: Missa Euge Bone / MUNDY: Magnificat 8.550937
Under the Greenwood Tree 8.553442
VECCHI: Amfiparnaso (L') 8.553312
VICTORIA / LOBO / LASSUS: Masses 8.553240
VICTORIA: Masses 8.550575
WEELKES: Anthems 8.553209
WILLAERT: Missa Christus resurgens / Magnificat / Ave Maria 8.553211
World of Early Music 8.554770-71