lute@abnjh.UUCP (J. Collymore) (05/10/84)
Well, for those of you interested in expanding your musical horizons, here is my partial list of recommended recordings for music of the Renaissance. For those of you who are unaware, the Renaissance in music begins around 1450 and ends between 1600 and 1625. The music I have found myself, (and most people) to prefer is from the High Renaissance (ca. mid to late 16th cent.), therefore, the recordings I cover here cover mostly that period. Also, the recordings I have chosen are instrumental rather than vocal works. (To me, vocal music from ANY period is an acquired taste that doesn't come easy.) They are mostly (80%) dance pieces, and are therefore, pleasing whether they are slow or fast. These dance pieces are both court AND country dances, so you should get a well rounded feel for the music. I have included the record label and catalog number so if you go to a record store and try to order them you should have less trouble. Be warned though; all of these selections are done on Renaissance instruments, they are NOT transcriptions for modern instruments (like Ren. for modern brass). Since this music and the instruments are native to Europe, most of these recordings are imports, and will cost you a little bit more. And now, the list! Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Angel SB2-3810, (2-record set with a wonderfully illustrated large book) perf. by David Munrow & The Early Music Consort of London. Dances of the Courts and Villages of the 16th Century, Odyssey Y34617, Floregium Musicum of Paris (not much about the instruments on the jacket, but excellent selections). Music of the Renaissance Virtuosi, Nonesuch H71389, (excellent variety of music on plucked instruments (i.e. lutes, citterns, theorboes, etc.)). David Munrow presents Medieval and Renaissance Sounds - Vol. 1, Desto DC7138, (narration & examples of music and instrmnts. on side 1, just music on side 2). Pleasures of the Court, Angel S-36851, David Munrow & the Early Music Consort of London and The Morley Consort. 16th Century French Dance Music, Philips 6500 293, Musica Reservata Golden Dance Hits of 1600, Archiv 2533-184. Tansmusik der Praetorius-Zeit (or Dance Music from the Time of Praetorius), Archiv 198166, Collegium Terpsichore. Musik 2 und 3 Lauten (lutes), Archiv 2533 323. And I'll throw in one ringer just because the music is so unusual and so pleasant. Music for Glass Harmonica, Turnabout TV-S34452. (In case you don't know what the glass harmonica is, it's a series of fine crystal glasses that are filled with varying amounts of water so that they are tuned to different pitches. The performer plays them by gently running his wetted fingers around the rims, or gently striking them. Chords, as well as single notes are played. This instrument was popular during the Classical period and the recording has several works by Mozart and others that composed pieces for the instrument. You may also be interested to know that Benjamin Franklin made an "improved" version of the glass harmonica during his life.) I hope those of you who are interested can find these recordings and enjoy them. If you do, send me mail and let me know what you think. Jim Collymore
riddle@emory.UUCP (Larry Riddle) (05/11/84)
I hope Jim doesn't mind my taking the liberty to follow-up on one of his suggested recordings for Renaissance music, namely: >> Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renassance with David Munrow >> and the Early Music Consort of London First a posssible typo correction - my copy is Angel SBZ-3810 (Jim listed it with a 2 instead of the Z) * Now about the recording itself. This is a marvelous introduction to early music instruments. The two records have short compositions highlighting the principal types of instruments in use in Europe before ~1600. In conjuction with the musical selections is an illustrated book describing each of the instruments. Both the music and the book follow the same sequence making it very easy to read along while the music is playing. To quote from the introduction: "The illustrations themselves have been chosen to demonstrate as far as possible the function, range and special characteristics of each instrument. In the Middle Ages the accent is on solo pieces, sometimes with accompaniment; in the Renaissance the emphasis is more on the development of the complete soprano-to- bass consorts." Some the instruments illustrated are: Record I (Middle Ages) shawm, reed pipe, bagpipes, bladder pipes, panpipes, transverse flute pipe and tabor, recorder, gemshorn, portative organ, hurdy-gurdy clavichord, trumpet, cowhorn, mediaeval cornet, harp, lyre, psaltery, dulcimer, lute, mandora, long-necked lute, gittern, citole, rebec, fiddle Record II (Renaissance) shawm, curtal, racket, crumhorn, cornamuse, kortholt, rauschpfeife, flute, recorder consorts, renaissance organ, regal, harpsichord, virginals, xylophone, cornets, lute, viol I have enjoyed all the recordings by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London. Another good one if you are a recorder player is The Art of the Recorder, a two-record set of recorder music from the Middle Ages to the 20th century (also on Angel but sorry, can't remember the catalog number). Larry Riddle {akgua,sb1,gatech}!emory!riddle