Medieval - Renaissance Music

If only they could make facsimiles available, maybe even online. But it would take an army of archivists several lifetimes to accomplish that task at the Vatican. Still, if you think about it, most of that stuff never sees the light of day, and will disintegrate to dust eventually without ever being of any use to anyone. Seems pointless.

Yes, they most certainly need proper care and handle. There are a lot of facsimiles available online by the way. I will post a few links with digital facsimiles collections, if you are interested to look at. I haven't searched their collections and I don't know if you need to be a member to access their libraries and how much of the material pertains to early music...

Digital Scriptorium
Early Manuscripts at Oxford University
CEEC
Roman de la Rose
Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music
Julliard Manuscript Collection (baroque to 20th century)

Alexandros

P.S. Google "music facsimiles" to find more online libraries.

I just performed today a collection of 16th-century music from Spain - Morales and Guerrero. We did one of Morales' "Missa L'homme arme," along with a few motets.

Medieval music is hard to write because it's such a different mindset from common practice music.

Guerrero is wonderful. We perform a lot of his stuff in the early music group I'm in. Haven't done much Morales yet.

I like renaissance music, too, thanks for the links! Some other recordings can be found here:

Recordings of the Choir - Coro Nostro Chamber Choir

I especially like the piece Sicut cervus : no disturbing or dramatic effects, just pure and natural beauty...

In the 14-16th cent. life was much slower and calmer than today (no tv, net, etc...), I think that's why they can write such beautiful music.

Gesualdo!

(for the record, this is my first post that's just a composer's name followed by an exclamation mark. Generally I get annoyed when I see other people doing that, but memories of singing Gesualdo madrigals prompted this outburst. Sorry)

Originally Posted by Zetetic

Gesualdo!

(for the record, this is my first post that's just a composer's name followed by an exclamation mark. Generally I get annoyed when I see other people doing that, but memories of singing Gesualdo madrigals prompted this outburst. Sorry)

Gesualdo's hard to beat. His sense of chromaticism is really wonderful, and a great example for contemporary composers who want to work in a less-dissonant idiom.

Gesualdo doesn't get done as much as it used...pity. I couldn't tell you the last time I heard something of his.

I just got done listening to some Byrd - my favourite English composer of any period: his motet/anthem "Bow Thine Ear," and "Ye Sacred Muses" for alto/countertenor and viol consort, a heartrending elegy on the death of Tallis. I recommend both, and just about anything else Byrd wrote.

The words to "Ye Sacred Muses" are wonderful:

Ye sacred Muses, race of Jove,
Whom Music's lore delighteth,
Come down from crystal heav'ns above
To earth, where sorrow dwelleth,
In mourning weeds, with tears in eyes:
Tallis is dead, and Music dies.

*sigh*

Try "Der Fluyten Lusthoff" for recorder. Fantastic! Early Baroque style. My gr7 and gr8 recorder pieces are from Fluyten Lusthoff.

My Benedciton

Hello Pieter!

I love Van Eyck's collection of recorder pieces! One of the pieces I am playing for my recorder examinations is "Bravade" (I am also playing Badinerie in soprano recorder and some other stuff for the treble recorder).

Bravade

Alexandros

I love Gombert. Just astoundingly beautiful stuff. If you are on a budget I recommend the Naxos recording by Cappella Almire. Also, the Hyperion label has issued some beautiful recordings of his stuff.