The early music ensemble ¡Sacabuche! presents a collection of music from the Habsburg Court. Giovanni Valenti, Antonio Bertali, and Pavel Josef Vejvonovsky may not be well-known today. But in the 1640s Bohemia, they were renowned for their instrumental virtuosity and composing skills. ¡Sacabuche! delivers some first-rate performances of this music. In addition to violin, theorbo, […]
renaissance music
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Fiori Musicali Return to Renaissance Roots
According to the liner notes, the purpose of this release is to “uncover the fine thread of cultural exchange between high art music and popular music tradition.” Sure, I could hear that. You can also enjoy this release as a great collection of early music hits. I use the word “hits,” because many of these […]
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William Tisdale Music for Virginal unusual fare
There are plenty of Renaissance keyboard recordings floating around. So what makes this release special. Three things: the music, the performer, and the instrument. The music is mostly from Tisdales Virginal Book, supplemented with selections from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. Very little is known about William Tisdale, save that he was a composer and keyboardist […]
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Porfeti della Quinta perfectly perform Philippe Verdelot
Philippe Verdelot one of the composers credited with developing the Italian madrigal. Though French, he spent most of his professional life in Florence. His publications spread throughout Europe and set the model for this Renaissance vocal form. Verdelot wrote mostly five- and six-voice madrigals. This release features some of his less-common four-voice madrigals. They were […]
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Ensemble Almara with the best of Carmina Predulcia
There are collectors for everything — even information. Take Hartmann Schedel (1449-1514) for example. He amassed a collection of over 600 volumes comprising all the knowledge of his day. He compiled the Schedel Song Book not so much out of a love for music, but just to collect and record the information. The Schedel Song Book […]
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Cantica Symphonia masterfully perform Josquin Desprez
This is the fourth volume of music by Josquin Desprez that Cantica Symphonia has released on Glossa. Giuseppe Maletto and the ensemble released two volumes of Josquin’s motets, plus one of chansons. Their next release was a collection of Marian motets (compositions in praise of the Virgin Mary) by various Renaissance composers. This recording seems […]
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Anonima Frottolisti demonstrate Humanism in music
I first fell in love with early music through recordings of David Munro. In many ways, the Anonima Frottolisti reminds me of those recordings. The ensemble performs with enthusiasm and energy. The album is a survey of music heard in 15th Century Italy. The Humanist movement grew out of a rediscovery of ancient Greek writings […]
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Francis Cutting Lute Music – Tudor Treasures
Little is known about the life of English lutenist Francis Cutting. He was a musician for the Howard family (Anne Boleyn’s peeps), and one his ten children, Thomas, also became a respected lutenist. What is known is Cutting’s music. He wrote “Packington’s Pound,” which has been recorded countless times by early music ensembles. He’s also […]
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Paulo Biordi Revives Lyra Viol Music by Ferrabasco
Alfonso Ferrabasco (the younger) was –despite his name — an English composer and viol virtuoso. He was active in the courts of both Elizabeth I and James I and well-known in the London music scene. His father emigrated to England in 1592 and achieved fame as a madrigalist. The lyra viol is a member of […]