The Early Music Club (EMC)

[Vinbrulé]

This one is not too bad.

https://www.ebay.nl/itm/MEDIEVAL-RENAISSANCE-Various-50-CD-box/263770282787?hash=item3d69ef1b23:g:NysAAOSwWMtanCkl:rk:1:pf:0

This box is so full of beautiful things that I have decided to buy it !!   

[Traverso]

  This box is so full of beautiful things that I have decided to buy it !!   

Congratulations, the secular songs by Dufay are not complete in this box, only one (= 5 CD ) and the Carmina Burana the same.The Dufay songs are wonderful and you might be interested in this box.

I bought mine,the Dufay box much more expensive.Good luck.

https://www.ebay.nl/itm/Dufay-Complete-Secular-Music-Medieval-Ensemble-of-London-LOiseau-Lyre-Box-Set/264040002108?hash=item3d7a02b23c:g:430AAOSwXUdbm-Dk:rk:1:pf:0

[Vinbrulé]

Congratulations, the secular songs by Dufay are not complete in this box, only one (= 5 CD ) and the Carmina Burana the same.The Dufay songs are wonderful and you might be interested in this box.

I bought mine,the Dufay box much more expensive.Good luck.

https://www.ebay.nl/itm/Dufay-Complete-Secular-Music-Medieval-Ensemble-of-London-LOiseau-Lyre-Box-Set/264040002108?hash=item3d7a02b23c:g:430AAOSwXUdbm-Dk:rk:1:pf:0

I already have the 5 CDs Dufay box , with my complete satisfaction . I'm not against the use of instruments for accompany vocal music, provided they are not too much in evidence against the voices ( example : Bach's motets directed by Gardiner or Harnoncourt ) so the performances of the Medieval Ensemble of London give me a strong sense of completeness and legitimacy. Even the registered sound (analogic remastered) is far better than some more recent digital Cd with their ecclesiastic reverberant acoustic ( perhaps it would cost too much to rent a recording studio..... let's go to church , then    )   

[Mandryka]

   I already have the 5 CDs Dufay box , with my complete satisfaction . I'm not against the use of instruments for accompany vocal music, provided they are not too much in evidence against the voices ( example : Bach's motets directed by Gardiner or Harnoncourt ) so the performances of the Medieval Ensemble of London give me a strong sense of completeness and legitimacy. Even the registered sound (analogic remastered) is far better than some more recent digital Cd with their ecclesiastic reverberant acoustic ( perhaps it would cost too much to rent a recording studio..... let's go to church , then    )

There are some wonderful things in the box that aren't easily obtainable any other way - the Heinrich Isaac, for example, is a great favourite of mine.

As far as instruments are concerned, you may know that Peter and Timothy Davies completely lost confidence in what they were doing because of scathing review in Oxford Early Music Magazine and maybe in Gramophone too, which mocked them for not playing a cappella. Reviews which, given the state of knowledge at the time and the state of knowledge now, were unjustifiable. It's an interesting study of the way a musical establishment seek to create an ideological hegemony.

The sound is wonderful, warm.

[Traverso]

There are some wonderful things in the box that aren't easily obtainable any other way - the Heinrich Isaac, for example, is a great favourite of mine.

As far as instruments are concerned, you may know that Peter and Timothy Davies completely lost confidence in what they were doing because of scathing review in Oxford Early Music Magazine and maybe in Gramophone too, which mocked them for not playing a cappella. Reviews which, given the state of knowledge at the time and the state of knowledge now, were unjustifiable. It's an interesting study of the way a musical establishment seek to create an ideological hegemony.

The sound is wonderful, warm.

I am happy with the recordings they made, it is a pity that they seem to have disappeared into thin air.

[Vinbrulé]

   I already have the 5 CDs Dufay box , with my complete satisfaction . I'm not against the use of instruments for accompany vocal music, provided they are not too much in evidence against the voices ( example : Bach's motets directed by Gardiner or Harnoncourt ) so the performances of the Medieval Ensemble of London give me a strong sense of completeness and legitimacy. Even the registered sound (analogic remastered) is far better than some more recent digital Cd with their ecclesiastic reverberant acoustic ( perhaps it would cost too much to rent a recording studio..... let's go to church , then    )

P.S.   To avoid misunderstandings : my reference to the Bach's motets means that I DO like the way Gardiner and Harnoncourt use instruments for accompany their choirs !

[Traverso]

P.S.   To avoid misunderstandings : my reference to the Bach's motets means that I DO like the way Gardiner and Harnoncourt use instruments for accompany their choirs !

Now we can all sleep peacefully again.

[Mandryka]

Is Aliénor de Bretagne the same as Aliénor d'Aquitaine?

I think the De Caelis CD is very cool to hear.

[Vinbrulé]

No.  Alienor (Eleonora) d'Aquitaine was the mother of King Richard the Lionheart , and grandmother of Alienor de Bretagne.

[Mandryka]

No.  Alienor (Eleonora) d'Aquitaine was the mother of King Richard the Lionheart , and grandmother of Alienor de Bretagne.

Thanx

[Vinbrulé]

I can't get tired of this delightful disc. But I ask myself : wouldn't it be better put an instrument or two playing the notes when there is a textless part in a motet ?  I'd very much like to have on the same disc a motet with a textless part performed with vocalizations, and immediately after the same motet with the part performed by instruments.  Perhaps it would be interesting. Perhaps.
Anyway the singers of the Orlando Consort are so skilled that vocalizations after a few minutes of listening become all in all pleasant.

[Mandryka]

I can't get tired of this delightful disc. But I ask myself : wouldn't it be better put an instrument or two playing the notes when there is a textless part in a motet ?  I'd very much like to have on the same disc a motet with a textless part performed with vocalizations, and immediately after the same motet with the part performed by instruments.  Perhaps it would be interesting. Perhaps.
Anyway the singers of the Orlando Consort are so skilled that vocalizations after a few minutes of listening become all in all pleasant.

Sequentia use instruments in their De Vitry Cd for some in some of the songs, maybe not the motets,I think it's on YouTube.

Jordi Savall is absolutely brilliant with instruments in a De Vitry motet on his Raymond Lull CD. I also like Early Music Consort of London in Cum Statua - with instruments,

[JBS]

I went  through the liner notes for Blue Heron's Peterhouse partbooks set, written by Scott Metcalfe. It is too long and too much into details to be properly summarized but his two chief points are
--performance pitch in England was not that of the Continent, and English pitch was generally about A=466
-- well into the 1500s and beyond Latin was pronounced just like the local vernacular. He cites a semihumorous anecdote from Erasmus that shows how divergent pronunciation of Latin could be.  But generally Englishmen pronounced Latin with English vowels, French with French etc.

[Mandryka]

I went  through the liner notes for Blue Heron's Peterhouse partbooks set, written by Scott Metcalfe. It is too long and too much into details to be properly summarized but his two chief points are
--performance pitch in England was not that of the Continent, and English pitch was generally about A=466
-- well into the 1500s and beyond Latin was pronounced just like the local vernacular. He cites a semihumorous anecdote from Erasmus that shows how divergent pronunciation of Latin could be.  But generally Englishmen pronounced Latin with English vowels, French with French etc.

This point about A=466, is this based on research done years ago by David Wulstan? If so it's intereting to see his ideas still hold water.  I certainly think it's a good thing to transpose Taverner up, to make the lower voices less muddy.

I hope Latin with C 15 English vowels sounds nothing like Latin with vowels as pronounced in Oxford, I will never forget the ring of « ego admitto te ad gradum Baccalaurei«  - gives me the cold sweats.

[Que]

Intersting new release that caught my eye:

[asin]B07KH1FH4W[/asin]
Q

[Vinbrulé]

I did not know that Josquin Desprez had written instrumental music, but after all this is not so improbable. Anyway I found this cd very satisfying.
Surprisingly ending with a short moving song by Arvo Part, followed by the reproposal of track 1 ( the piece that gives the title to the album ) with a different organic, and a quicker tempo.
I have particularly liked the baritone voice.  I must explore other things from this Ensemble !!!

[Mandryka]

I did not know that Josquin Desprez had written instrumental music, but after all this is not so improbable. Anyway I found this cd very satisfying.
Surprisingly ending with a short moving song by Arvo Part, followed by the reproposal of track 1 ( the piece that gives the title to the album ) with a different organic, and a quicker tempo.
I have particularly liked the baritone voice.  I must explore other things from this Ensemble !!!

The voice is that of Raitis Grigalis, I'm a great fan of Marc Lewon's work, he's got some fabulous singers working with him. Another group you may like just as much as Ensemble Leones, if not more, is Per Sonat.

[The new erato]

A Collection of older recordings, recently released.

[Que]

A Collection of older recordings, recently released.

[asin]B07J35QFR1[/asin]
I noticed as well! 
Anyone familiar with them care to comment?
My main issue would be if the perfomance styles are still relevant or outdated?
Since recordings range from 1985 - 2015 and several ensembles are involved, the picture might be mixed...

Q

[Vinbrulé]

The voice is that of Raitis Grigalis, I'm a great fan of Marc Lewon's work, he's got some fabulous singers working with him. Another group you may like just as much as Ensemble Leones, if not more, is Per Sonat.

Thanks, I will investigate. Happy New Year !