The Early Music Club (EMC)

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

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San Antone

Graindelavoix is much less an early music ensemble and much more an art collective experimenting between the fields of performance and creation, comprising singers and instrumentalists led by Björn Schmelzer. Taking its name from an essay by Roland Barthes ("le grain, c'est le corps dans la voix qui chante, dans la main qui écrit, dans le membre qui exécute..."), where Barthes was looking for what constitutes the gritty essence of a voice, Graindelavoix experiments with what one does with the "grain", the physical and spiritual reflection of the voice.

Formed in 1999 by Schmelzer and based in Antwerp in Belgium, the collective works with material as diverse as Ockeghem's polyphony, the plainte, machicotage, Mediterranean practices, late scholastic dynamics and kinematics, the affective body, gesture and image culture... What is preoccupying Graindelavoix in early music is the bond between notation and what eludes it: the higher consciousness and savoir-faire that the performer brings to a piece (ornamentation, improvisation, gestures...). Schmelzer works with singers and instrumentalists who embrace diversity, heterogeneity, ornamentation and improvisation in their music-making. In many ways, an ethno-musicological approach to early music.

[asin]B000N39ICA[/asin]

Very fine.

aligreto

Willaert: Missa Christus resurgens....



Artem

I'm fairly new to this area of music, but one of the composers that caught my attention is Nicolas Gombert. I enjoy this specific CD:

[asin]B004NWHVOY[/asin]

Does anyone have a favorite Gombert CD?

San Antone

Formed in March 2009 from some of Melbourne's finest choral soloists, The Old Cathedral Voices is based at St James' Old Cathedral - Melbourne's oldest church - and specializes in one-voice-per-part performance of English Church music from the renaissance to the present day. 

They must be an amateur group since I cannot find much beyond their CD Baby page, but this recording is nice.



In sampling several recordings of Byrd masses on Spotify, finding OVPP recordings is not easy.  Of course I would prefer a male group, but with the dearth of choices, this will do.

:)

San Antone

Two fantastic recordings by Pierre Hamon, Marc Mauillon, and others performing music of Guillaume de Machaut.

Remede de Fortune Import

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Mon chant vous envoy

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On Mon Chant Vous Envoy, the team formed in 2005 by Pierre Hamon around the exceptional baritone Marc Mauillon continues to explore the work of the great French musician-poet of the 14th century, Guillaume de Machaut. The album's collection of songs, virelais, ballads and roundels of Guillaume de Machaut exemplify the composer's understanding of the poetic art of courtly love, whose melodies are part of our memory and our psyche. Mauillon is an exceptional talent even in the current environment of medieval music and these melodies 700 years on still maintain an impact. Marc Mauillon is accompanied by his sister Angelique Mauillon on harp, violinist VivaBiancaLuna Biffi, and group leader Pierre Hamon on flute.

Moonfish

#705
Gyri Gyri Gaga - German Renaissance Songs of Lust & Life              Stimmwerck

Led here by San Antonio's "ravings"!  ;)    A new ensemble for me and, indeed, a very pleasant experience. This is an anthology of music with quite varied pieces from the realm of the German Renaissance. Worthwhile! Plenty of music at 74 min and the disc also includes a quicktime video of the making of the recording (also on YouTube - see below).

The ensemble seems very vibrant in their music making. Some of the pieces are less appealing to me, but the overall experience was very positive.  If you are interested the disk is available at Daedelus Books & Music for a song. They also have a large number of early music recordings at affordable prices. Worth checking out if you are a frequent visitor of this thread!  :)



https://www.youtube.com/v/6HJ_YqBcNy0
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

San Antone

Quote from: Moonfish on April 01, 2015, 12:23:18 PM
Gyri Gyri Gaga - German Renaissance Songs of Lust & Life              Stimmwerck

Led here by San Antonio's "ravings"!  ;)    A new ensemble for me and, indeed, a very pleasant experience. This is an anthology of music with quite varied pieces from the realm of the German Renaissance. Worthwhile! Plenty of music at 74 min and the disc also includes a quicktime video of the making of the recording (also on YouTube - see below).

The ensemble seems very vibrant in their music making. Some of the pieces are less appealing to me, but the overall experience was very positive.  If you are interested the disk is available at Daedelus Books & Music for a song. They also have a large number of early music recordings at affordable prices. Worth checking out if you are a frequent visitor of this thread!  :)

Excellent.  I haven't heard this recording, but their Pamenter disc is one of the best I have.

Florestan

Quote from: Moonfish on April 01, 2015, 12:23:18 PM
Gyri Gyri Gaga - German Renaissance Songs of Lust & Life              Stimmwerck


Haven´t heard this one, but it looks delicious. Wishlisted.

In the same vein this disc is a must:



Allmusic review by James Leonard -

What is music coming to? With a song called "I'm Called Mister Erection," lyrics including the deathless line "it's a piece of dog sh*t," melodies so primitive that they're infantile, and harmonies so primitive that they barely exist, it's hard to imagine ever calling this stuff music. But not only was this stuff written by Orlande de Lassus, one of the greatest of the late-Renaissance composers, he even saw fit to publish most of it. Apparently, despite his transcendent motets and his exquisite madrigals, Lassus had a sense of humor and all listeners can do is to take it or leave it. But if they decide to take it, they have to take it with a grain of salt and a sense of humor.

Rinaldo Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano clearly decided to take it with a great sense of humor because this is one of the funniest discs of so-called serious music ever released. That this is the same rarified vocal ensemble that has released so many emotionally nuanced recordings of Monteverdi's madrigals is hard to believe, but clearly the singers are enjoying their work and their enjoyment is infectious. Although the singers still sing with wonderful expressivity and tremendous flexibility, the Concerto Italiano is not shy about making the sound of its voices match the crude, rude, and lewd music. The result is a terrific disc, but certainly not for listeners with delicate sensitivities.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

aligreto

Gregorian Chant: Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah from this CD....





....beautifully sung.

Moonfish

Quote from: Florestan on April 01, 2015, 12:36:00 PM
Haven´t heard this one, but it looks delicious. Wishlisted.

In the same vein this disc is a must:



Allmusic review by James Leonard -

What is music coming to? With a song called "I'm Called Mister Erection," lyrics including the deathless line "it's a piece of dog sh*t," melodies so primitive that they're infantile, and harmonies so primitive that they barely exist, it's hard to imagine ever calling this stuff music. But not only was this stuff written by Orlande de Lassus, one of the greatest of the late-Renaissance composers, he even saw fit to publish most of it. Apparently, despite his transcendent motets and his exquisite madrigals, Lassus had a sense of humor and all listeners can do is to take it or leave it. But if they decide to take it, they have to take it with a grain of salt and a sense of humor.

Rinaldo Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano clearly decided to take it with a great sense of humor because this is one of the funniest discs of so-called serious music ever released. That this is the same rarified vocal ensemble that has released so many emotionally nuanced recordings of Monteverdi's madrigals is hard to believe, but clearly the singers are enjoying their work and their enjoyment is infectious. Although the singers still sing with wonderful expressivity and tremendous flexibility, the Concerto Italiano is not shy about making the sound of its voices match the crude, rude, and lewd music. The result is a terrific disc, but certainly not for listeners with delicate sensitivities.


Leonard's review certainly makes it look like an intriguing (and lewd) recording!  :)  No wonder one needs the booklets with the texts.  0:)
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Florestan

These two superb discs can go in pair for a delightful listening session. Jacopo da Bologna allegedly was the teacher of Francesco Landini.



Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

San Antone

Itis unfortunate, since they make a lot of records, but I am not a fan of Anonymous 4.  Nothing worse for my ears than an all female group.

:(

Florestan

Quote from: sanantonio on April 02, 2015, 02:15:49 AM
Itis unfortunate, since they make a lot of records, but I am not a fan of Anonymous 4.  Nothing worse for my ears than an all female group.

:(

You mysoginistic, sexist, patriarchalistic male suprematist! Missing sublime music and musicmaking will be your punishment!  ;D :P
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

San Antone

Quote from: Florestan on April 02, 2015, 02:23:59 AM
You mysoginistic, sexist, patriarchalistic male suprematist! Missing sublime music and musicmaking will be your punishment!  ;D :P

;D


Wakefield

Quote from: sanantonio on April 02, 2015, 02:15:49 AM
Nothing worse for my ears than an all female group.

:(

For historical reasons, all-male ensembles faced the lacking of natural treble voices through special training or, more brutally, surgical interventions (castrati). But, apparently, it also had some successful all-women ensembles, with women competently doing bass voices. The documentary "Vivaldi's Women" is very interesting to watch in this aspect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=153WVp8QJQ0

:)
"One of the greatest misfortunes of honest people is that they are cowards. They complain, keep quiet, dine and forget."
-- Voltaire

Karl Henning

Quote from: Gordo on April 02, 2015, 03:30:46 AM
For historical reasons, all-male ensembles faced the lacking of natural treble voices through special training or, more brutally, surgical interventions (castrati).

There were also boy trebles, of course.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Wakefield

"One of the greatest misfortunes of honest people is that they are cowards. They complain, keep quiet, dine and forget."
-- Voltaire

San Antone

Quote from: Gordo on April 02, 2015, 03:30:46 AM
For historical reasons, all-male ensembles faced the lacking of natural treble voices through special training or, more brutally, surgical interventions (castrati). But, apparently, it also had some successful all-women ensembles, with women competently doing bass voices. The documentary "Vivaldi's Women" is very interesting to watch in this aspect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=153WVp8QJQ0

:)

My preference is not based on historical reasons, but because of the sound of women's voices.  And for mixed groups, if the balance is top heavy it is not to my taste.  Male groups who actuate the high tessitura (transposing up), can fall into this category as well.


Florestan

Quote from: sanantonio on April 02, 2015, 04:40:27 AM
My preference is not based on historical reasons, but because of the sound of women's voices. 

Your wife / girlfriend must have a hard time talking to you then.  :P

Seriously now, what's wrong with the sound of women's voices?
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

San Antone

Quote from: Florestan on April 02, 2015, 04:43:39 AM
Your wife / girlfriend must have a hard time talking to you then.  :P

Seriously now, what's wrong with the sound of women's voices?

I just prefer the sound of men singing this repertory.