Josquin

On this CD:

1. Illibata Dei virgo nutrix/La mi la, motet for 5 parts
Composed by Josquin Desprez

2. Ave Christe immolate, motet for 4 parts (doubtful, poss. by Bauldeweyn)
Composed by Josquin Desprez

3. Missa "Pange Lingua", for 4 parts
Composed by Josquin Desprez

4. Absalon, Fili Mi, motet for 4 parts (poss. spurious)
Composed by Josquin Desprez

5. Inviolata, integra et casta es, motet for 5 parts
Composed by Josquin Desprez

Tracks:

Calata Ala Spagnola
Tastar De Corde, Rececar Dietro
Pavana Alla Venetiana
Rececar
Jay Pris Amours (Duet)
Recercar
La Bernardina De Josquin (Duet)
Recercar Quinto
Canto Bello
La Villanella
O Mia Cieca E Dura Sorte (After Marchetto Cara)
Che Farala Che Dirala (After Don Michele Vicentino)
Non Mi Negar Signora (After Serafino Dall'Aquila)
Recercar
Pavana
Calata
Recercar
Je Ne Fay (Duet)
Recercar
De Tous Biens (Duet)
Tastar De Corde, Recercar Dietro
Calata Ala Spagnola
Poi Che Colse La Mia Stella (After Bartolomeo Tromboncino)
Laudato Dio
Saltarello & Piva (Duet)

Customer Reviews:

thanks naxos.......2007-03-18

first i want to thank the folks at naxos for all the great music they have provided over the years at a budget price. i have about 30 albums released by naxos, and they are all wonderful. this album of lute music is a classic listening experience for late nights or lazy sunday afternoons. it is a beautiful quiet trip back into the sounds of another time and place. recorded in a church in england, the acoustics of that building come through clearly, giving the overall sound a haunting tone. the lute playing is itself is gorgeous. nobody looking for a recording of lute playing could go wrong here. naxos also has released a series of solo lute albums featuring the works of sylvius leopold weiss, with robert barto performing, which i recommend heartily, as well. thanks again, naxos.

Superb album.......2007-01-12

This is an excellent album. It's currently my favorite lute album. It's beautiful, relaxing, and enjoyable to listen to. This album is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys lute music.

Heavenly.......2006-10-11

Perfect. Timeless, gentle music. I have given many massages to this music (can't stand most new age stuff). Has the ancient sound that is exactly what I was looking for. Strong recommendation: Glenn Gould, consort of Musicke by William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons. One of my favorite albums EVER. Incredibly powerful, primal, simple.

Simply WONDERFUL!!!! just amazing........2006-02-01

One of the best-buy i have made since long time ago. A high quality CD that can be enjoyed in every moment. Beautiful melodies, you can feel the ancient times with those, and you can try to imagine how could it be medieval life.

A Journey Back In Time!.......2003-12-11

This is a wonderful CD! Beautifully recorded in St. Andrews Church in Toddington, England! The quiet melodies of each piece are different enough that you will never get bored playing it over and over again!The next time you have a bad day, or come home from work some night with frayed nerves, try this!Turn out all of the lights, light a candle in a jar, preferably a scented one (sounds awfully 60's doesn't it!) put this CD on the stereo, get comfortable, let your mind drift back to the 16th century, watch the candle light flicker on the walls and ceiling and feel yourself relax!!!This CD is a lot cheaper than a bottle of tranquilizers or a visit to the shrink!BEWARE: Don't substitute Lute music played on an acoustic guitar! A Lute has different dynamics, nuances and colours!Good Listening To You!!!

Average customer rating:

A good reference disc
Beautiful music.
Beneath the objective criticism often lies a subjective grandeur
The Orlando Consort sings Desprez much better...
Splendid

Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons
Josquin Desprez , Paul Hillier , and The Hilliard Ensemble
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chansons | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna
Perotin / The Hilliard Ensemble
Machaut: Messe de Notre Dame / The Hilliard Ensemble
Josquin des Prés: Missa Pange Lingua; Missa La Sol Fa Re Mi
Guillaume de Machaut: Motets

ASIN: B000002SSH
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

Ave Maria... Virgo serena (Motet a quatre voix)
Absalon fili mi (Motet a quatre voix)
Veni Sancte Spiritus (Motet a six voix)
De profundis clamavi (Motet a quatre voix)
Scaramella va alla guerra And Scaramella fa la galla
In te Domine speravi
El grillo
Milles regretz (chanson a quatre voix)
Petite camusette (chanson a six voix)
Je me complains (chanson a cinq voix)
En l'ombre d'ung buissonet (chanson a trois voix)
Je ne me puis tenir d'aimer (chanson a cinq voix)
La deploration de Jehan Ockeghem

Amazon.com essential recording

The Hilliard Ensemble bathes these vital vocal works by Josquin in a Mediterranean light: clear, warm, and brilliant. Josquin was a northerner who, like so many other composers of the Renaissance, descended to Italy to pursue his career. The singers bring to life the composer's marriage of the Flemish preoccupation with technique and the southern instinct toward lyricism. This is an extraordinary disc. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

A good reference disc.......2007-03-20

These performance are crystal claer, but seem to lack emotional investment.

Beautiful music........2007-01-05

I just wish there was more recorded Desprez out there. Enjoy this lovely CD.

Beneath the objective criticism often lies a subjective grandeur.......2006-07-14

3 1/2

Sacred choral works sung with the subtle graces of stained glass refracting light, still at times synonymous sentiment in tonality looses value in between a few more upbeat numbers. While focusing and authenticating to the vibration of what was undoubtedly a symbolic pillar of faith many centuries ago, one benefits more from a detached awareness from composition in favor of utter immersion into the sublime transitions throughout these hallowed vocals. Although hardly a definitive collection, this disc serves as a good introduction (& painful reminder) to the ancient, purist reception this stilling music once knew.

The Orlando Consort sings Desprez much better..........2005-03-28

This unexpensive and rather short cd offers a selection of Desprez's works, both sacred and profane in a 50/50 ratio.

While some people may find the contrast between the (extremely)slow, stately religious pieces and the quick, playful songs in French and Italian stimulating, I found it slightly disturbing. I definitely would have preferred a selection of pieces with a greater unity of mood and style.

While the performance is certainly first-rate, the recording seems to me to be below average: when you turn up the volume, an annoying hum is heard in the background. Is this problem due to the inferior quality of my hi-fi? It might be, but the fact is that this maddening defect has appeared only on very few of my cds (it is also very evident on recordings of the King's College Choir).

I recommend in addition to this cd Ockeghem's Mass "De plus en plus" by the Orlando Consort. Ockeghem's Great Lament for the death of Jean Binchois is in my opinion much more beautiful and moving than Desprez's own lament for Ockeghem on this cd.

I also warmly recommend "Desprez: Motets", also by the Orlando Consort, an imported October 2000 Deutsche Grammophon CD, for me one of the best, if not the best Renaissance sacred music recording. IMHO, The Orlando Consort sings and interprets Desprez infinitely better than the Hilliard Ensemble and even beats the Tallis Scholars.

The total duration of this recording is 50 minutes.

Splendid.......2005-02-23

Other reviewers have pretty much said it all-- all I can add is-- if you don't like James's voice, then don't listen to Hilliard. David James is to the Hilliard Ensemble what The Edge is to U2. ;)

Average customer rating:

Great choral music CD
a voice teacher and early music fan
Lovely!!!
Beautiful, but a little cold
The Greatest Hits of a Pioneer Ensemble

The Essential Tallis Scholars

Manufacturer: Gimell UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chansons | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina
Tallis: Spem in Alium
Christmas With the Tallis Scholars
Allegri: Miserere
The Tallis Scholars Sing Thomas Tallis

ASIN: B00009NJ20
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

Miserere
Ave Maria For Double Choir
Sicut Lilium I
Praeter Rerum Seriem
Pater Peccavi
Ego Flos Campi
Tota Pulchra Es
Descendi In Hortum Meum
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Salve Regina
Ave Regina Caelorum
Gloria

Tracks:

Media Vita
In Manus Tuas
O Nata Lux
Audivi Vocem
Exaudiat Te Dominus
Ah, Robin
Salve Regina
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

Great choral music CD.......2007-01-26

This CD is excellent - a "must have" for every collection. Beautiful voices, relaxing music.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-01-08

The pieces on these two discs are taken from over fifteen years of recording by the Tallis Scholars, startng with the now-famous recording of Allegri's 'Miserere' from 1980. Allegri lived well into the Baroque era, dying in 1562, Therefore, he did not write the 'Miserere' in renaissance polyphony; and his chordal structure leaned toward the Baroque.
Victoria's 8-part 'Ave Maria' and Palestrina's 'Sicut lilium' are both pieces iln a contemplative mood, the first making direct reference to the Virgin Mary, and the second indirect reference to her via the poetry of the 'Song of Songs'. The remaining selections on Disc l, maintain the consistent, intense sonority of Flemish polyphony.
Disc 2 falls into two parts. The pieces by Sheppard, Tallis,White and Cornysh come from the first half of the sixteenth century and are part of the 'English School' of writing. Here the music is made up of long lines, more notes than syllables, with the emphasis on the part-writing and not the harmonic background.
The second part of Disc 2 is Byrd's five-part Mass, which was written in the 1590's for a recusant Catholic community. Byrd's music has drawn closer to the Flemish style; that is imitative voice parts, largely syllabic in setting with the occasional examples of word-paintings, and the voice parts closer together. But the mood has a different intensity than the writing on Disc one; darker and more questioning. Never was polyphony more passionate than in Byrd's masses,of which the five-part is the crowning achievement.
The members of the Tallis Scholars vary from year to year, and the list of participating singers is included in the accompanying booklet; but it does not tell you which singers are singing each year. That bothered me somewhat because I like to know to whom I am listening specifically. It does mention, however, that the solo group in Allegi's 'Miserere' is Alison Stamp (treble), Michael Chance (countertenor) Jane Armstrong and Julian Walker.
The recording is outstanding in every way. Perfect balance between the voices, perfect emotional investment, flawless dicton and the most beautiful vocal sounds you will ever hear; just Two and One-half hours of pure pleasure!!!!!

Lovely!!!.......2006-06-02

This set of CDs is truly wonderful. I am fond of sacred choral music and purchased the CD mostly to obtain the recording of Gregorio Allegri's "Miserere Mei." This song alone is worth buying the set. I heard it live by an excellent college choir in my hometown and immediately set out to find the best recording of it. Most buyers recommended this recording over the others. (By the way "Miserere Mei: by Gregorio is hard to find.) Additionally the other songs are also so relaxing, flowing, and meditative. I will be honest . . .the Tallis Scholars sing well but not as flawlessly as the Cambridge Singers. You will note that not every consanant is hit in unison, but this is not overly disturbing. (Still that is the only reason for giving four stars instead of five.) The sound is still lovely and the songs gorgeous. In Media Vita is another gorgeous song (first on second CD). If you haven't heard it, I'm sure you'll love the flowing melody!

Beautiful, but a little cold.......2006-02-06

The Tallis Scholars are the zenith of this type of singing, but sometimes they lack the vocal warmth that they probably could achieve if they were guided to do so. Still, this is a great CD, and even better for the 2 CDs of fine and uplifting singing.

The Greatest Hits of a Pioneer Ensemble.......2005-09-27

For years, Tallis Scholars have been quietly revolutionizing our recovery of sacred music. This is their "greatest hits" collection and quite great indeed. The Miserere which begins the set is alone worth the price of the set. The only fault with it is that it is so startling, so obviously genuine, that you will still be hearing it as you play through the rest of the set. The Scholars' ongoing recovery project only proves how integral music is to the human psyche, how essential the sacred is to basic human sanity. And how the severence of the two in the public space and the popular imagination -- the sacred from music -- has severely damaged us all en masse.

Chanticleer: Magnificat (A Capella Works by Josquin, Palestrina, Titov, Victoria, and Others)

Average customer rating:

Beautiful with excellent sound engineering and singing
Beautiful performances and some nice surprises
Heavenly
Marvelous sound
Gorgeous choral voices surrounding you

Chanticleer: Magnificat (A Capella Works by Josquin, Palestrina, Titov, Victoria, and Others)
Chanticleer , William Cornysh , John Taverner , Claudio Monteverdi , Vasily Polikarpovich Titov , Tomas Luis de Victoria , Vassili Polikarpovich Titov , Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina , Josquin Desprez , and Marianne Kach
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Mysteria
Sing We Christmas
Chanticleer: A Portrait
Our American Journey
Wondrous Love: A World Folk Song Collection

ASIN: B00004SDN3
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Ave Maria, Mater Dei
Magnificat
Stabat Virgo Maria
Maria, Quid Ploras
The Angel Cried Out
Regina Caeli Laetare
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Ave Maris Stella
O Thou Joy Of All The Sorrowful
Ave Regina Caelorum A 8
Ave Maria A 4
Salve Regina A 5

Amazon.com

In the wake of its previous, Grammy-winning disc of contemporary madrigals (Colors of Love), the all-male a cappella ensemble that calls itself Chanticleer--in homage to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales --comes home to roost in this theme album of early music. After all, this is the territory that Chanticleer first staked out when the group banded together in 1978, and the return is most welcome. Magnificat offers manifold rewards, from the sensitive, imaginative culling of its program to the warmth and lithe interweaving of vocal layers in its execution (vividly recorded in splendid 20/24-bit process at the Skywalker Ranch)--not to mention the capsule music history that it traces. Like depictions of the Annunciation in medieval and Renaissance paintings, musical settings of texts that are centered on Mary abound during this period. Chanticleer's anthology includes familiar gems (the hymn "Ave Maris Stella"), but the group is delightfully unpredictable in many of its choices: examples of the polychoral sacred music of Russian Vasily Titov, contrafactum reworkings of two Monteverdi madrigals to Marian texts, and a full Magnificat setting by Tudor master John Taverner. The latter gives a microcosm of Chanticleer's vocal versatility, presenting stern, unadorned plainsong side-by-side with melodies that blossom like tendrils. Or listen to the ensemble's dynamic control, from the exultant climaxes of the Titov choral concerto to the achingly beautiful, held diminuendo on the second Monteverdi piece. Most impressive of all is that Chanticleer manages to avoid the bane of a cappella groups--a bland, homogenized sameness of sound--through its subtle variations in color and thoughtful musicality. A real treasure. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful with excellent sound engineering and singing.......2007-06-27

I got what I wanted ---some absolutely beautiful compositions with exquiste voices.
Should be a grammy nominee

Beautiful performances and some nice surprises.......2005-06-17

This is a nice anthology of Renaissance music encompassing key composers of both the Prima and Seconda Prattica, including one or two less known names. The uniting theme is that of they are all in praise of the Virgin Mary. Most of these works are old war horses such as the Josquin Ave Maria which is beautifully performed. Their tempo for the Josquin is similar to that of the spacious approach of the Hilliard Ensemble, and unless you like this music performed at breakneck speed you will likely find this performance perfectly satisfying. If you are interested in an anthology of Renaissance music then this is a great choice, however for those of us with a strong interest in music of this period what really makes this essential listening is the two extraordinary pieces by Vasily Titov.

Titov composed at the time of Tsar Peter the Great's modernisation drive in Russia. He brought in composers from the West and Titov's music represents a marriage of the Italian compositional styles of the Seconda Prattica with the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church. Like the grand architecture of St Petersburgs, and the Hermitage this is an fascinating mixture of Western influences with distinctly Russian ones. The twelve part polychoral writings have some of the dark solemnity of Russian Orthodox music while clearly being heavily influenced by the likes of Monteverdi, Gabrielli, Lassus and Palestrina. Perhaps a more authentically Russian approach to this music would have given far more prominence to the basses, but this still has trumendous impact. It makes it strange that there is so much interest in composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Moussorsky, Shostakovich and the like but the Early Music movement have yet to catch up with Eastern Europe - Titov is very easily their equal and I would welcome more substantial recordings devoted to exploring this neglected composer.

This is a great recording recommended both to a general audience as well as to lovers of Renaissance music alike. The recorded sound is natural and full bodied. You can pick out individual voices in the chorus without them being drowned into an amorphous porridge of sound - a sign of a good recording. Still, I have heard wider sound staging and a wider dynamic range, so for all its virtues this is almost - but not quite - audiophile quality. Clearly a SACD format DSD recording would have been preferable.

Heavenly.......2003-01-04

This is one of my first two DVD-audio discs. Some tracks are recorded from the audience perspective, with the choir across the front and cathedral ambience all around, and those are beautiful, but I gotta say I love the, "choir-around the room" recordings a little more. Track 3 in particular has the choir "doubled" with parts recorded seperately with the choir at the rear of the cathedral, a then they moved 'em all down front, and stuck the tracks together through the magic of digital editing. I don't have a DVD-audio player yet so I'm just listening to the compressed Dolby 5.1 tracks. Can't imagine it sounding any better, though. Get this disc. Seriously, do it so you can go to heaven!

Marvelous sound.......2002-03-08

This recording wraps you up in a gorgeous sonority, and I'm only listening in stereo. I can't wait to hear it when I fill out my speaker ensemble.

Gorgeous choral voices surrounding you.......2002-02-03

I hesitated to buy this disc until a friend told me he knew one of the members of Chanticleer; then again I also had nothing like it in my collection. The sound is rich and resonant. You should know it is recorded realistically, in a variety of soundfields, i.e. sometimes there is a processional from front to rear, sometimes choruses on upper left/right, or from all around you, depending on the material. If that sounds disconcerting be assured it isn't. This is a beautiful and soothing disc with a nice variety to it, and the sound is wonderful.

Average customer rating:

Pure Christmas
Christmas magic
a voice teacher and early music fan
Simply beautiful
It's that time of year...for Chanticleer!

Sing We Christmas
Chanticleer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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Chanticleer: A Portrait

ASIN: B000000SNL
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
O magnum mysterium
In dulci iubilo
O virgo virginum
O Jesulein s Jesulein mild
Hodie Christus natus est
Marabile mysterium
Verbum caro factum est: Y la Virgen le dezia
A un nilorando
Here Is The Little Door
Noel canon
Quelle est cette odeur agrle
El Noi de la Mare
A Christmas Carol
A virgin unspotted
In the bleak mid-winter
Glory to the newborn King
Stille nacht - Douce nuit - Silent night

Amazon.com

Christmas is the season for whipping out those holiday-specific standard recordings. This splendid gift by Chanticleer should top the list, for one will never tire of this a cappella choir's interpretations. With selections spanning the last five centuries of Latin, German, English, Spanish, and French festive fare, this recording exemplifies the sacrifice of the ego to the higher form of choral sound. Jacob Handl's "Mirabile Mysterium" takes you on a trip into the chromatic wonderlands, where you temporarily lose tonal balance. Victoria's eerie and dissonant "O Magnum Mysterium" treats us to rich voices swelling out of one organic whole. The phenomenal blend and perfect intonation elevate this recording above others in its category. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Pure Christmas.......2007-01-16

If you are looking for traditional madrigal sounding holiday music, this CD is for you. I have purchased this CD several times because I just keep giving them away. Everyone I've ever introduced it to has loved it. This finely polished group has a pure sound matched by no other. If you weren't looking at the CD notes you would never know this is only a group of 12 men.

Christmas magic.......2007-01-10

A CD evocative of Christmas past and present. Beautiful harmonies both wistful and ringing with joy. Buy it for next Christmas!

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-12-02

Chanticleer, the U.S. equivalent of the British King's Singers, is a full-time classical vocal ensemble named for the rooster in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. It was founded in 1978 by Louis Botto, a tenor, and for a while was its artistic director. They have achieved critical acclaim all over the world and their repertoire is very extensive and varied. Just commenting on a few of the selections on this disc:
'Es ist ein Ros entsprungen' is a hymn that originated in western Germany around 1500, and is best known in the harmonization by Michael Praetorious published around 1609. The poem used biblical imagery that pictures the newborn Christ growing forth from the "stem of Jesse'(the father of King David), as foretold in Isiah 11. The metaphorical writings of the Middle Ages depict the patriarchal figure of Jesse as a rose bush.
'O Magnum mysterium',Victoria's most famous motet, uses a subline text from the Christmas Vespers. This is incredibly beautiful with its interweaving polyphony which leads to a hushed choral declamation at the words "O beata Virgo"(O Blessed Virgin) ending with a Alleulia Section.
'Here is the Little Door' is from a set of three "carol anthems", dating from 1918-1920. Herbert Howells was revered as one of the 20th century's most distinguished Choral composers, and I recently discovered him thru the album " by the Corydon Singers conducted by Matthew Best. It includes Howells Requiem in addition to the Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor. It is the most heavenly somewhat exotic choral music I think I have heard in many years of listening; I highly recommend it.
'Glory to the newborn King'. Joseph Jennings, Georgia native and present musical director of Chanticleer, has often drawn upon his roots to create special gospel and spiritual arrangements of familiar songs. 'Glory to the newborn King' features four traditional songs combined to showcase Chanticleer's unique choral virtuosity!
This is an excellent group of carols,and it is always refreshing to hear 'new' melodies, arrangements; a joy for the ear!!!!

Simply beautiful.......2006-02-20

The title and artist' name says it all - Christmas with clear (pure) singing. Glorious in all respects.

It's that time of year...for Chanticleer!.......2005-12-20

Walking the busy malls to the multichannel Muzak of every old Christmas song interpreted in hiphop, jazz, idiosyncratic 'rethinkings' by famous soloists as well as replays of Gene Autry, Bing Crosby etc., it is a relief to return home (or if fortunate, to the concert hall) and hear the more uplifting music of the season through the ages. And despite reliance on some old favorite Messiah recordings, and carols by Kings College Choir, the one CD that seems to reign supreme is this Chanticleer release SING WE CHRISTMAS from 1995!

These twelve male voices create an ambience that can only be labeled 'spiritual', so resonant and exquisitely performed are each of the generous works on this recording. The moods pass through Praetorius, Victoria, Bach and traditional carols of unknown authorship to works by Ives, Billings, Holst, Guerrero, Howells and Sametz. The repertoire is both familiar and rarely heard and the result of combining all these forms is the truest form of Christmas spirit on record: this is music to cleanse the Muzak blitz! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

Beyond Chant: Mysteries Of The Renaissance

Average customer rating:

Great literature... but thats about it
Essential listening.
Captivating!
Lofty music
Slow down Maestro !

Beyond Chant: Mysteries Of The Renaissance

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Voices Of Ascension: From Chant To Renaissance
The Greatest Choral Music of Palestrina: Prince of Music
Mysteries Beyond: Songs and Chants in Praise of Mary
Duruflé: Requiem Op.9/Messe Cum Jubilo,Op.11
Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons

ASIN: B0000006ZN
Release Date: 1994-05-23

Tracks:

Sicut Cervus
Ave Maria
Justorum Animae
Jesu Rex admirabilis
Exultate Deo
Exultate Justi
Jesu,Dulcis Memoria
Ave Verum Corpus
Psalm 90
Psalm 96
Hodie Christus Natus Est
O Maria Virgo Pia
Tu Pauperum Refugium
O Sacrum Convivium
If Ye Love Me,Keep My Commandments
Hosanna To The Son Of David
O Quam Gloriosum
Selig sind die Toten
Heu Nos Miseros
Exaltabo Te
O Sing Joyfully
O Magnum Mysterium
Laudate Nomen
Cantate Domino

Amazon.com

Go right to the first track and prepare for one of the most masterful and stylish performances of Palestrina that you'll ever hear. It's not flashy music nor is the singing especially virtuosic, but the unified phrasing, ideal balance among sections, and overall ensemble technique is impressive, and Palestrina's little motet simply opens and displays itself like a beautiful flower. The rest of the program, which includes a variety of beautiful flowers from composers such as Josquin, Sweelinck, and Tallis, maintains the same standard. Anyone looking for an introduction to Renaissance sacred choral music will find much here to encourage further exploration--standards like Byrd's "Ave verum corpus" and Victoria's "O magnum mysterium"-- and lesser known tiny masterpieces such as Victoria's "Jesu, dulcis memoria." The Voices of Ascension ranks with the world's finest choirs, and this recording reflects both the highest standard of choral singing and the highest standard of choral composition during the Renaissance. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Great literature... but thats about it.......2007-06-17

This cd was mildly dissapointing, to say the least. The literature is fantastic. Some of the greats are featured on here with some of their best works. No doubt a great taste of the Renaissance, especially for someone new to it. However, I'm sorry to say that the performance is second-rate, at best. Dennis Keene apparently is either unaware, or just simply understudied when it comes to the Renaissance. He shows an incredible lack of messa di voce, which was what drove the counterpoint of the Renaissance. His interpretations rob this music of its deeply personal purpose. I would suggest the Hilliard Ensemble over any ensemble for Renaissance literature, and find it dissapointing that so many people praise such emotionless, understudied Renaissance ensembels such as the Voices of Ascension, the Tallis Scholars, and the Oxford Camerata, just to name a few. Very good literature... But always pick the Hilliard Ensemble or Anthony Rooley's Consort of Musike when you have the option. It seems like Paul Hillier and Anthony Rooley are the only two true Renaissance scholars currently conducting ensembles.

Essential listening........2007-03-05

This was my first CD of Renaissance choral music, as it undoubtably has been for a great many people. It offers the best possible introduction to the genre for 2 main reasons: 1. No other CD of Renaissance choral music contains such a varied cross-section of early to late Renaissance sacred music styles. 2. The performance and recording quality are fabulous.

Keene uses a variety of different voicings and numbers of singers according to the needs of each particular piece, sometimes with only 2 on a part. The ensemble heard on this recording is a select professional core of The Voices Of Ascension, one of the best choral groups in the country. The voices are all very rich and resonant, and the intonation through the entire CD is unquestionably on par with the best in the world. The singing is, for the most part, completelly vibratoless and extremely smooth, which creates a gorgeous purity that allows this music to shine. However, it does become strident at times, which may put off some choral conductors who are strongly against straight-tone singing.

Of particularly high quality and beauty are the Viadana "Exultate Justi", Byrd's "Ave Verum Corpus", Tallis' "O Sacrum Convivium", and the Victoria and Sweelinck pieces. Another extraordinary track is Leonardo Leo's "Heu Nos Miseros", a late Baroque piece included because of its influence from earlier styles. It is a 9 part double choir piece full of extravigant dissonances and emotion, performed breathtakingly.

Captivating!.......2006-04-12

I was christened as a choral music fan once, as a college student, I heard the music of the Cambridge Singers. Inundated with classical music for years, how could I never have heard such music?! It was as if my musical senses were born anew: for it was with the same awe as a child encountering the world for the first time, that I discovered this novel and fascinating world of a cappella choral music. There were landmark discoveries along the way: Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge; Concordia Choir; St. Olaf Choir; the Dale Warland Singers; the Kansas City Chorale; Kantorei; the West Coast Mennonite Chamber Singers...and (as you expected!) I must end with the Voices of Ascension. The clarity of their pure voices can only be paralleled by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. Chant haters, do not avoid this CD - you will find no chants here! Chants hold absolutely NO intrigue for me and I cannot endure listening to them for long periods of time. By contrast, this music, aptly named "Beyond Chant," truly does uncover hidden musical treasures of the Renaissance for those who would ordinarily avoid such music. The intricately woven a cappella harmonies are captivating and satisfying. I highly recommend this CD to all choral music fans.

Lofty music.......2005-10-14

Some of the earliest pieces of Christian music are the various kinds of chant. These hearken back to synagogue singing; there were various kinds of chant, including Gregorian, Old Roman, Mozarabic, Cistercian and Anglican chant. These tend toward the monophonic, singing with a single 'tune' or lone. They are generally without regular beats or set meters. However, in the Renaissance, monophonic chant grew into a polyphonic form, and this is one of the most glorious eras of music. (My shelves at home are filled with CDs of this sort.) Composers in this era include many represented on this disc - Palestrina, Desprez, Victoria, Lassus, Byrd, Gibbons and Tallis were some of the leading lights of the time. Lesser known but still glorious include Tye, Viadana, Sweelinck, Hassler, Batten and Schutz.

One of the interesting features of this disc is that it includes three pieces by Sweelinck, two psalm settings and 'Hodie Christus Natus Est'. (Sweelinck is very under-represented in recording and performance today). Some pieces are very well known - Byrd's 'Ave Verum Corpus' is perhaps one of the most familiar pieces from this period, as is Palestrina's 'Exultate Deo'. This is a collection that draws from the breadth of the Western Christian tradition of music from this time, with composers from Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Spain.

The composers here wrote liturgical music for Masses and other worship services, as well as other pieces - motets and other kinds of new music. This disc represents music that is two or three steps removed from plainsong and basic forms of chant - some are quite a bit distant. Viadana's composition for 'Exultate Justi', for example, was actually composed later, and despite being done in a more Renaissance style, shows decided influences of the Baroque (this might also be part of the performance of the Voices of the Ascension that gives this impression).

The Voices of Ascension, under the direction of Dennis Keene, grew out of the choir of the Church of the Ascension in New York City. Many of the singers are active soloists in addition to being part of this group (whose numbers vary, but often around 40). Keene is a conductor, organist and teacher (not an uncommon combination). Trained at Juilliard, he has led the Voices of Ascension through many outstanding recordings and performances.

This is a performance that is definitely uplifting, and a good collection of music in its breadth to introduce the glories of Renaissance polyphony to those who with little exposure to it. The recording quality is very good, and the choir is quite full and well suited for the music. Some have commented upon the tempo, but this was not a concern for me, and did not stand out as unusual or a problem upon listening (indeed, there were a few points at which I might wish for it to be a bit faster, rather than slower).

A collection that soars!

Slow down Maestro !.......2004-01-04

Another reviewer writing about another album by Dennis Keene wrote:

"Yet the performance is not the slowly flowing honey usually served up by, say, the Tallis Scholars (as good as that is). Particularly in the Gloria and Credo of the Mass, Dennis Keene deliberately de-emphasizes the rise and fall of the different voices' lines in favor of a more naturally speech-like declamation of the long Latin texts. This means a surprisingly fast tempo--and some rhythmic spring and syncopation one might not expect in Palestrina. Some (not all) of the motets get a similar treatment: it works well in joyous pieces like the Pentecost motet Dum complerentur, but listeners might miss that melodic rise and fall in some of the slower works. The singers of Voices of Ascension are quite skillful, and the slight edge in their tone helps make the different melodies unusually audible. Very worthwhile, but not your father's Palestrina."

As a matter of fact, I used to like this album quite much although it was certainly not my favorite. That was until I listened to Robert shaw's "O Magnum Mysterium", which is amedley of Renaissance, negro spiritual, Russian and Western contemporary religious music. I was struck by Shaw's profoundly spiritual interpretation of the pieces by Victoria and Tallis that are also recorded on "Beyond Chant".

From then on I could no longer listen to this cd without feeling feeling increasingly dissatisfied. I tried to find a precise reason and not being a music specialist I was quite at a loss until I found the review above. Maybe the quick tempo is the key to my dislike.

I definitely feel that Dennis Keene and his singers do not have the depth of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers although the booklet accompanying the cd claims that the audience was spellbound by their performance, which took place in a cathedral in New York.

Tracks:

Spem in alium - Thomas Tallis
Sanctus, Agnus Dei - (from the `Missa Ducalis`)
Qui habitat (Psalm 90) - Josquin Desprez
Deo gratias
Laudate Dominum
Exaudi me Domine - Giovanni Gabrieli
Ecce beatam lucem

Amazon.com

A greatly expanded Huelgas Ensemble performs here a collection of multivoice works--pieces that are often referred to but, for logistical reasons, rarely performed. Tallis's famous Spem in alium non habui for 40 voices is here, of course; so is the piece that inspired it, Striggio's 40-voice Ecce beatam lucem. Also included are two extraordinary canons: Ockeghem's 36-voice Deo gratias and Josquin's 24-voice Qui habitat--as well as relatively modest pieces for 13 to 16 voices by Porta and Gabrieli. Spem has had livelier performances (try the Tallis Scholars on Gimell), but none of the others have been recorded elsewhere at all, let alone as well as this. You're not likely to hear them in concert, either, so check this disc out. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Well-balanced choral work .......2007-05-28

I admit I bought two versions of Spem In Alium performed by Huelgas Ensemble and the Tallis Scholars. There are strong and weak points in both of the recordings but what strike me most about the Huelgas' interpretation, like other reviewers covered in this review portion (and I completely agree), is its balanced performance of the piece. I could actually hear the forty voices without "drowning" and outdoing each other, unlike the Tallis Scholars' recording. However, some parts of the choral (I'm referring to Spem only) are kind a bit sloppy and technically inferior as compared to the Tallis Scholars' version. Example of this is in the portion of "ET OMNIA PECCATA HOMINUM" followed by a pause and "IN TRIBULATIONE" where the Tallis Scholars captured it best. The portion "RESPICE" is almost a whisper in the Huelgas' recording while the Scholars' interpretation of it is like Tchaikovsky's cannons in his 1819 (is the date right?) Overture, which in my opinion, is the proper interpretation (it is one of the high points of the piece, by the way) and Huelga misses this one. All in all I will rate the Scholars' performance 4 stars for its technicality and 4 stars to Huelgas' for its balanced performance. I'm just wondering if Alessandro Striggios' 60 part choral "Sanctus" survived will give these fine performers something to look forward to recording. I bet it will make Handel look like a first grader in music!!!

Utopia very much Triumphans.......2007-01-23

This magnificent recording is sure to delight all lovers of Renaissance a capella performance. The voices come over clearly and brightly with the interplay of parts easily heard in every piece. The information provided with the CD is sufficiently detailed to more than adequately place the pieces within both historical and musical context. Several of the works (Porta's 'Sanctus', Manchicourt's 'Laudate Dominum') are, I think rarely heard but hold their own well with the more frequently heard works Desprez, Ockeghem and Gabrieli. Of particular interest to me is the performance of Striggio's rarely heard forty part motet Ecce beatam lucem. The opportunity to compare and contrast this fine work with Tallis' own (and much performed) forty part motet Spem in alium is greatly enhanced by the performance notes.

One of the few essential recordings of Renassance polyphony.......2005-05-28

Paul van Nevel and the Heulgas Ensemble convey an intensely intimate yet ultimately powerful impression with this collection of gigantuan polyphonic works of mind boggling contrapunctal complexity. If you thought that some of Bach's four part counterpoint was exceedingly complex then try to get your mind around the fact that here you will find 12 voice, 24 voice - all the way up to 40 voice counterpoint! The audacity of such complexity is infinitely fascinating and utterly hypnotic. Though the mind may boggle in trying to follow the kaleidoscopic display of infinitely complex part writing, these are yet works of just enormous immediacy of emotional and spiritual appeal that makes them a far cry from the academic works they might seem to appear. These works are a testimony to the fact the composers of the Renaissance are every bit the equal of their peers in other arts such as painting and architecture, for in turns of the sheer phenomenal complexity of that these rich works display, the world has never since seen their equal.

The richer sounds of this continental European ensemble in comparison to the relentless purity of English groups is also highly welcome. As usual Paul van Nevel encourages a vocal sound that comes more from the chest giving a darker hued color that also has great expressive warmth. There is no attempt to artificially brighten up the upper registrars by doubling the soprano parts for example. In an age dominated by Cambridge style English cathedral style singing from groups which can sometimes start to sound all the same, it is wonderful to hear a group that dares to occupy so unique and distinctive a sound world as theirs.

The Spem in Alium is a good case in point for the performance here is wonderful and quite unique. As for the claim that this performance of the 'Spem in Alium' is somehow weak, you can safely ignore that. Yes, the Tallis Scholars are still excellent too but there is a place for a less ostentatious and relaxed-intimate 'chamber' approach to this music. The performers even stood forming a circle in church to record these works. Warm and understated poetic intimacy are wonderful virtues that the Huelgas Ensemble always convey in abundance.

In all this is one of the absolutely essential recordings of Renaissance polyphony. It is a must have for anyone who loves fine music and it you only own one recording of Renaissance polyphony this might well be it. It certainly has a firm place on my desert island collection.

intellectual exercise (yawn).......2004-04-12

Kudos to this group for recording these works. However I can't remember a duller performance of Spem in alium. I have performed the work three times and own several recordings of it. Whether or not you buy this CD depends on your reason for wanting it. If you want to own one recording of Spem in alium, this is not the CD you want. Get the Tallis Scholars' recording instead. If you love polyphony and are looking for a good listening experience, depending on your taste, this one might do, especially if you are looking for something relaxing (i.e., something to put you to sleep). If you are a musicologist with an intellectual interest in multichoral polyphony, and just want to hear the works, and want a performance that is correct, and don't need it to be exciting, this recording is worth the purchase.

Great for meditation.......2003-11-27

Originally having acquired this album shortly after its release in the mid-1990s after having read a magazine review, I must say that over the years this piece has stood the test of time as part of my music collection. The following is the original review I read, which was written by Barbara Eisner Bayer: "Imagine yourself in an enchanted forest where, from every direction, above and below, you're surrounded by voices - 40 in all - attacking your senses, each with an independent line. From the 40-voice motets by Tallis and Striggio to the simpler(!) 36-, 24-, and 14-voice pieces, this one-of-a-kind recording shakes your body and induces ecstatic revelry. The sound is luxuriously top-heavy, occasionally too bell-like, and small movements become lost. Because of the massive swelling when all voices sing simultaneously, individual lines tend to dive into the pool of sound, unable to claim a personal identity. This dizzying compilation of Winnebago-sized choral pieces will be exhilerating to some, a bad trip to others, but a must hear for all." Very accurately said. And, in addition to this album being an extremely high quality recording, and an excellent reading and meditation companion, I was surprised to find that the lyrics, in a language I have not read much since junior high school (Latin), are actually beautiful prayers. For example, this piece opens up with "Spem in alium": "I have never had hope in anyone but Thee, God of Israel, Thou who grow angry and will hear prayer. Thou eliminate all the sins of men in tribulation. Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth, look down upon our humility." If you enjoy choral or polyphony, this is an album you will not want to dismiss.

Josquin: Missa L'homme armé; Ave Maria; Absalom fili mi

Average customer rating:

Fabulous music, Fine performance, Great price. Get it now!
EXQUISITE
A Serene Beauty, Nice Sound, Great Price
Not great, not bad - worth having at this price!

Josquin: Missa L'homme armé; Ave Maria; Absalom fili mi
Josquin Desprez , Jeremy Summerly , and Oxford Camerata
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dufay: Missa L'homme armé; Supremum est mortalibus bonum
Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons
Machaut: La Messe de Nostre Dame; Songs from Le Voir Dit
Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna
Palestrina: Missa Hodie Christus natus est; Stabat Mater; Lasus: Missa Bell' Amfitrit' altera

ASIN: B000007N5U
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Mode 6: L'homme arm
Missa L'homme arme: Kyrie
Missa L'homme arme: Gloria
Missa L'homme arme: Credo
Mode 6: Laeta Dies
Missa L'homme arme: Sanctus
Missa L'homme arme: Agnus Dei
Absalon, fili mi
Vinders: Lament On The Death Of Josquin

Amazon.com

Naxos continues its L'homme armé series with Josquin's four-voice Mass composed around the 15th-century popular tune. This appealing work features an extraordinary triple canon in the final Agnus Dei--with a sound often compared to Philip Glass. The ever-inconsistent Oxford Camerata performs underwhelmingly--Summerly's slow tempos render some portions of the Mass tender, many others just sluggish. For example, at the end of the Credo, when the music goes from serene double-time into joyful triple-time, the change barely registers. The ubiquitous "Ave Maria" comes off better, if only because the singers must know it inside-out, but their performance of Vinders's beautiful lament sounds like sight-reading. For the Mass, the Tallis Scholars are worth the extra money; for well-performed-but-budget-priced polyphony, choose Summerly's superb Obrecht CD. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous music, Fine performance, Great price. Get it now!.......2005-12-09

This is glorious music sung wonderfully by the Oxford Camerata under the skilled direction of Jeremy Summerly. I am a huge fan of Josquin's music and consider him one of the great composers of all time. The group singing this has only a dozen voices and they sing with great clarity both in tone and in word. That, along with their intelligent shaping of the music, makes for a great experience when listening to contrapuntal music (music with multiple melodies in different voices).

When a mass is given a name like "Missa L'homme armé" it refers to an extant song that is used in the mass as a cantus firmus (an organizing principle before the advent of harmonic progressions). There is more than one version of the song "The Armed Man is to be feared" in different musical modes (too technical to discuss here), and Josquin set two of them that we know of. This is the version in Mode 6.

Also with this glorious mass we get a Josquin setting of Ave Maria, the fabulous Absalon, fili mi, and a Vinders motet on the death of Josquin. The Absalon we think was set at the request of Josquin's patron for Pope Alexander VI whose son (!), Juan Borgia had been murdered. This is a perfect text for such a family and contains a first in music. The text describing the descent into hell contains a harmonic progressing in a descending circle of fifths (into the flat keys).

All pretty wonderful stuff and at a fabulous price. Snap up this disk!

EXQUISITE.......2004-11-09

As well as the mass and the chanson it is based on this disc provides a motet 'Absalom my son' thought to have been possibly composed to commemorate the death of the son of the Borgia pope Alexander VI, plus an Ave Maria in which I was overjoyed to find the lovely melody that I have known all my life to the words of the Marian hymn 'Ave coelorum domina'. On top of that there is one absolutely brilliant extra, not by Josquin at all -- another motet, by Jheronimus Vinders little of whose work survives, and likely a posthumous tribute to Josquin himself. This is a quite outstandingly beautiful thing, strong and rich in tone, perhaps the jewel of the entire recital. Josquin's own music here is of a 'continuous' type, like that of Palestrina and without the antiphonal effects that I have come across in other works by Josquin and after him his Flemish compatriot Lassus.

The text of the mass is in the usual sections, with the Agnus Dei given the full three times and not just two, making a grand and solemn finale. In addition there is a mediaeval Latin poem in rhyming tercets following the credo, which I take to be the 'Sequence', like the Dies Irae familiar from most settings of the mass for the dead. However the translation provided is quite inexcusably bad, containing so many errors that I am including an accurate version in this review (* below).The study of the classics has of course declined, but I should have thought that at Oxford if anywhere there must still be plenty of folk around competent to vet and correct a piece of Latin construe. In other respects the production is admirable, with a short but informative liner-note largely concerned with current theories regarding Josquin's year of birth but also containing material on the music and the performers. The recording is beyond complaint, and the performance is at least within striking distance of the best standard of the Oxford Camerata. There are 12 singers, 5 women and 7 men, which I take to show that there is one female alto and one male.

*
. The joyful day of the great leader, bringing the gift of new light, is celebrated today.
. Grace is given to the believing mind, and let whatever is brought forth from the doors ring in the ardent heart.
. Along this path from the east let us wonder at the face of the rising patriarch.
. The mighty seed of a great race has made him as the sun, most like Abraham.
. You see the attendant raven, and on the other side behold Elias inconspicuous in the little cave.
. When the axe is brought back from the belly of the torrent let it be recognised as that of Elias.
. The shining virtue of Joseph and the mind of Jacob that knows future generations have gone into making him.
. Let him, mindful of his own people, lead us ever into the joys of Christ everlasting.

A Serene Beauty, Nice Sound, Great Price.......2002-03-08

This disc is a little mixed. For me, the 'Ave Maria' is kind of slow, and the final motet uninspired, but I love the mass. It's in a different mode than Dufay's setting, (the sexti toni referred to in the other review), which makes the tune more warm than manly, and this translates into the entire mass setting as well as Summerly's interpretation. At its best, this recording immerses me in what seems like a celestial ocean of polyphony, and I wouldn't get rid of it for anything.

Not great, not bad - worth having at this price!.......2000-02-25

A quick note to Amazon - your listing is mislabelled, as this is the Sexti toni version of this Mass, not the Super voces musicales.

As Matthew rightly points out, this is not one of the Oxford Camerata's best performances. In their defence, it also is not one of Josquin's more exciting works. However, at the price, this is a very nice CD to have in your library - if only to compare this reading with the arguably better one by the Tallis Scholars. If you are looking for a better example of the Oxford Camerata's skill, try their offering of Thomas Tallis' Mass for Four Voices and Motets. All things considered, still worth 4 stars, but it's a CD that needs to be listened to without distractions.

The Tallis Scholars Sing Josquin
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The Tallis Scholars Sing Josquin

Manufacturer: Gimell UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina

The Tallis Scholars Sing Thomas Tallis

Christmas With the Tallis Scholars

Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons

Byrd: 3 Masses

ASIN: B000EGCTF4
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

Plainchant: Pange Lingua
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus & Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus & Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Praeter Rerum Seriem
Ave Maria 4w

Tracks:

Anonymous Chanson: L'homme Arme
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus & Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus & Benedictus
Agnus Dei

Average customer rating:

One of the best CD's out there!
a voice teacher and early music fan
Prelewd to Postlewd
Sounds like they're singing Christmas carols
A sly and rollicksome good time!

The Art of the Bawdy Song

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Mad Buckgoat - Ancient Music of Ireland
Watkins Ale: Music of the English Renaissance
La Rocque 'n' Roll - Popular Music of Renaissance France / The Baltimore Consort
Penny Merriments: Street Songs of 17th Century England
On the Banks of Helicon: Early Music of Scotland

ASIN: B000001Q93
Release Date: 1993-02-11

Tracks:

Aniseed Robin
Cuckolds All A-Row
I Gave Her Cakes And I Gave Her Ale
Taking His Beer With Old Anacharsis
Fye, Nay, Prithee John
Cold And Raw
The Miller's Daughter
Will Said To His Mammy
The Old Fumbler
Walking In a Meadowe Greene
Celia Learning On The Spinnet
Tom the Taylor
My Lady's Coachman John
The Irish Jig Or The Night Ramble
Come Sirrah Jacke Hoe
Dainty Fine Aniseed Water
Most Men Do Love the Spanish Wine
Argreers
Gathering Peascods
My Lady And Her Maid
As Roger Last Night To Jenny Lay Close
Pox On You
Ladie Lie Near Me
'Tis Women Makes Us Love
Sir Walter Enjoying His Damsel
My Thing Is My Own
Here Dwells a Pretty Maid
My Man John Had a Thing That Was Long
When First Amyntas Sued For a Kiss
More Palatino
Poor Owen
Where They Drank Their Wine
Come, Come, Let Us Drink

Customer Reviews:

One of the best CD's out there!.......2007-05-10

All ages and musical backgrounds love this CD. The Baltimore Consort are amazing. One really feels one is in a smoky pub in the 14oo's getting plastered with England's best musicians! Don't miss "Pox on You;" my kids absolutely howl with glee at the "bass fartophone." I haven't heard laughter like that come out of my little boy since he was a toddler. "Sweet Sir Walter" features one of the guys singing in a falsetto that sweeps lustily down into a Tim Curry-esque (think Dr. Frank-n-furter)gutteral guffaw of delight. So outrageously fun one forgets one is listening to Renaissance madrigals.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-03-25

These bawdy catches and ballads take us on a journey to the taverns and other social gathering places of the the real 'Merry Old England'. Some of us may be mildly shocked by the directness and earthiness of the text, but everyday life in the 17th century was much more 'down-to'earth- and forward. These texts-some blatant and other euphemistic-fully explore the spectrum of humor from the sly smirk to the back-slapping guffaw.
The singing of both ballads and catches belongs to a long and venerable tradition in England. The natural habitat of the of the catch was the tavern, while the ballad was known in a wider variety of social settings as well as the stage. By the end of the 17th century, ballads were collected by connoisseurs of popular culture and published in anthologies. The main source for this recording, 'The Catch Club, or 'Merry Companions', was printed in 1762.
A quote from the catch-philosopher (of 'Come, come let us drink') is offered by the Baltimore Consort: "...wine and good cheer will in spite of our fear inspire our hearts with mirth..the time we live, to wine let us give, since we all must turn to earth...."
This is an excellent collection of songs; quite interesting and varied. The instruments are played skillfully, and the voices, for the most part, are good quality. However, as with all 'folk-like' songs, the diction is not always clear, and that is very true of several of these on this disc. The female voices were more difficult to comprehend much of the time. The text is printed out, so ultimately familiararity will make them easier to understand. I do like the disc, and think that it needed to be done.As to a previous criticism concerning the fact that it wasn't 'true' barroom singing. Of course, it's not!!!If it were, you would not understand any of it!!!!!Enough said.

Prelewd to Postlewd.......2005-09-28

The Baltimore Consort, an ensemble of six players, was founded in 1980 with the purpose of performing 'broken consort' pieces of Elizabethan origin. 'Broken' here refers to the instrumentation - treble viol/violin, flue/recorder, lute, cittern, bandore and bass viol. Their repertoire expanded beyond these beginnings to include broader British fare, as well as French and Italian music of the time. This is a happy expansion, as it made this disc of older, bawdy (for its time) music possible.

The Baltimore Consort play with life and vigour, with a good deal of improvisational flair, not being bound to texts and going through the production of notes as if mechanically. This is true to the spirit and nature of the early music, in which performers often had to 'play by ear', neither being able to read music nor having printed music even if they could. This is particularly true of the songs on this disc, where many are derivative of anonymous jokes and stories, and much of the music is likewise folk-tune and anonymously composed.

Some of the songs can be rather shocking. As Mary Anne Ballard writes in the accompanying notes, 'We must remember that in the days before indoor plumbing and pooper-scooper laws, everyday life was of an earthier flavour than it is today.... The men of the singing clubs and the ladies of stage poked fun at themselves and their companions with wit, pleasantry and contrivance.'

The names of many of the composers of these pieces have been lost to history, particularly the more folk-song oriented ones. However, some well-known composers are represented among the pieces here - Purcell, D'Urfey, Aldridge, and others.

The regular players include Mary Anne Ballard (viols), Mark Cudek (cittern, guitar, recorder and bass viol), Custer LaRue (vocalist/soprano), Larry Lipkis (recorder, viols), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Chris Norman (flutes), Webb Wiggins (tambourine and 'virginals'). Some artists are known from other Dorian productions, such as Ronn McFarlane on the lute in the collection 'Greensleeves'.

Added to the regular consort players are the Merry Companions, including Peter Becker (baritone), Alexander Blachly (baritone), Paul Shipper (bass, belch-canto), and James Weaver (baritone).

One more addition includes a guest artist, Lorenzo Labbrobacio, playing of all things, the 'fartophone', a rather mysterious instrument indeed. Labbrobacio defies identification on the internet other than references to this disc, and so the mystery deepens.

This is music that is interesting, truly fun to listen to, entertaining and has a quality about it that makes it a joy both in musical and humourous tones.

Sounds like they're singing Christmas carols.......2004-11-09

This recording is professionally produced - perhaps too much so. I've been in a few taverns and heard my share of bawdy songs. I am used to hearing them sung with gusto, with a wink and a naughty smile, to the raucous and enthusiastic appreciation of the audience. The songs on this CD are performed entirely straight. The results are technically competent but fail utterly in conveying the spirit and fun that make this genre worth listening to.

A sly and rollicksome good time!.......2002-11-29

On this recording, the Baltimore Consort and the Merry Companions are full of fun, both blatant and tongue-in-cheek. Soprano Custer La Rue and the instrumentalists of the Consort are joined by a quartet of classical male singers (Peter Becker, Alexander Blachly, Paul Shipper and James Weaver) with quite a theatrical sense of humor. The two groups take turns presenting ribald tavern songs of merry old England, interspersed by light, catchy instrumentals listed in the credits as the "Prelewd", the "Interlewd" and a "Fresh Ayre". Drinking, sex and other bodily functions are both celebrated and ridiculed in songs that are cleverly worded and enthusiastically sung, and in at least one case, accompanied by a mysterious instrument (reminiscent of P.D.Q. Bach) called a "fartophone". Especially amusing are the "catches" or rounds, and the new meanings that result from the staggering of words when several different verses are all sung together. It sounds silly, and is silly, but that's the point of it all--celebrating the "earthier flavor" of life 17th and 18th century England. My copy came with a parental advisory sticker stuck fast to the case, but my mother didn't seem overly concerned, and in fact enjoyed it too when I played it for her! For more fun Renaissance vocals, both salacious and serious, try "All At Once Well Met: English Madrigals" by the King's Singers, and "The King's Singers' Madrigal History Tour: Italy, England, France, Spain, Germany" by the King's Singers and the Consort of Musicke.

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