Early Music Round-up,
Early Music Round-Up - Spring 2023
Explorations of the more informal side of early music have been popular in recent years, with two albums from Bjarte Eike and his Barokksolistene blazing the trail; Prisma's In the Streets of London continues in similar vein, with a set ranging across the British Isles and taking in repertoire from folksongs (both bawdy and melancholy) to melodies by Purcell and Eccles.
Elsewhere, Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien revisit some unexpected corners of Telemann's output - the idea of "barbarous beauty" coming from exotic faraway lands might be treated with rather more raised-eyebrow skepticism today than it was then, but this album drawing inspiration from the composer's travels through Poland (and looking further afield to Hungary, Russia, south-eastern Europe and Turkey) is nevertheless a wonderful whistle-stop tour of areas and heritages that still tend to be overlooked by early musicians.
Holland Baroque maintain their track record of combining old and new in faithful and authentic ways - Bachs Königin might not be early music by the strictest definition, but in spirit it is impeccably historically-informed, with organ works by Bach reimagined for Baroque instrumental ensembles. All-male vocal ensemble De Profundis bring their unique sonority to more Iberian polyphony with a double-bill of Morales parody masses, while Ashley Solomon and Florilegium continue to give the Stradivarius treatment to the Baroque flute with a second volume of recordings on the instruments preserved in the Spohr Collection - made variously of ebony, ivory, porcelain and even gold. Sir James Galway, take note!
Recordings
London 1651: the third year of Civil War. Opera houses and theatres are shut down, but the nightlife is buzzing: people enjoy a few hours of escape thanks to carefree dancing, cheerful songs and good drinks, living for today and not tomorrow. There’s so much life in the traditional tunes, virtuosic divisions and popular songs that were well-known thanks to the theatres! PRISMA takes us ona trip through the bars and pubs of London and explores the British dance music of the seventeenth century. This program comprises melodies from the famous collection The English Dancing Master, as well as music from The Division Violin, Scottish and Irish folk tunes, and even some later hits like Danny Boy – all served up in PRISMA’s spontaneous and lively signature style!
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The texts that Brahms selected for his humanistic German Requiem had already been inspiring composers for centuries - after nurturing and developing the idea for years, Vox Luminis's Artistic Director Lionel Meunier finally makes his dream a reality with this exploration of Baroque works setting the same words. Watch out for a podcast discussing this album in the near future!
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
Handel's dramatic account of the Old Testament story of King Solomon drew some criticism in his own time - not least for perceived eroticism between him and the Queen of Sheba, whose famous 'Arrival' opens the third act. To fit the grandiose nature of the material, Handel's orchestration was large-scale for its time, as are the choruses - and Leonardo García Alarcón and his cast respond in fine form to the music's rich splendour.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
A few composers certainly spring to mind for many people as having been influenced by folk music - Vaughan Williams, Bartók, Enescu. François Lazarevitch and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien now add Telemann's name to that list, with a varied programme inspired by the composer's trip to Upper Silesia (today mostly south-western Poland). Lazarevitch also cites his own Serbian ancestry as a driving-force behind the album, which juxtaposes Telemann's works with folk pieces from all over north-eastern and south-eastern Europe.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
With apologies to fans of the composer Spohr (who can perhaps console themselves here), this album is devoted not to him but to the priceless flutes of the Spohr Collection, a selection of instruments from the eighteenth century. After the success of the first volume, Ashley Solomon returns to these instruments for a second album of virtuoso flute music by Vivaldi, Leclair, Quantz and others that is about as authentic as it's possible to get without a time machine.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
Morales: Missa 'Mille regretz' & Missa 'Desilde al cavallero'
De Profundis, Robert Hollingworth, Eamonn Dougan
The De Profundis ensemble have carved out a specific but artistically profitable niche for themselves performing early Iberian polyphony in 'chiavette' pitches - a lower range often used for all-male vocal groups. The resultant glorious sound has rightly been called "rich and well-blended" by Fanfare magazine, and this latest album of Morales parody masses is no different, with Josquin's bottomlessly mournful Mille regretz and a rather lustier anonymous folksong providing the thematic material.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
![Dowland: [Complete] Lachrimæ](https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiOTQ2NDMwOC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MjAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2NzgzNjM2Mjl9)
Speaking of "bottomlessly mournful" - the famously morose Dowland has left us a wealth of music that is both beautiful and impassioned. His Lachrimae collection - quite literally "tears" - is built around a backbone of seven pavans on Dowland's own theme (which would later become the lute-song Flow my tears), interspersed with livelier galliards and almans. The aptly-named Musicall Humors show us that there is far more to Dowland than simple uniform melancholy.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Dating to the fifteenth century, the Leuven chansonnier was discovered only eight years ago, bringing to light at least twelve chansons that had previously been unknown. Ensemble Leones bring a selection of songs from the chansonnier to life in a variety of guises, both instrumental and vocal. The closing Oublie, oublie, obsessively calling over and over again for the lover to forget their former sufferings, is particularly haunting.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
"The Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi, or Resurrection Story, is the first oratorio work by Heinrich Schütz and was first performed in 1623 during the vespers of the third day of Easter in the Chapel of Dresden’s Royal Palace. Although the original title speaks of the ""joyous and victorious resurrection,"" it is, at its core, a quiet and concentrated work with a refined dramaturgy in which the Easter jubilation only slowly breaks through. Schütz's work impressively captures the unspeakable and mysterious nature of the idea of resurrection in music. Ensemble Polyharmonique is a renowned collective of vocal soloists that specializes in the music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods with historical performance practice. In a larger cast and together with an outstanding instrumental ensemble, they present a high-quality, lively and stirring interpretation of the Resurrection History to which they add two wonderful Easter concertos by Heinrich Schütz and Michael Praetorius."
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
I hope I will be forgiven for indulging in a little licence - yes, Bachs Königin is technically a collection of contemporary transcriptions of organ works. But the new versions for Baroque instrumental ensemble are so faithful to the styles of Bach's time that it's easy to let yourself forget that and be taken in. This kind of respectful reinvention is what Holland Baroque do best, and I defy anyone to pick holes in the utterly convincing results.
Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
Books
A unique companion to J S Bach's iconic cello suites from internationally-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis. 'The very model of how to write about music' (Philip Pullman); 'An essential companion' (Jeremy Denk, New York Times); 'Illuminating, accessible and detailed' (Observer). Bach's six cello suites for solo cello are among the most cherished works in musical literature. Little-known for some two hundred years after their composition, they have acquired an aura that enthrals audiences worldwide. Isserlis goes deep into the history and the emotional journey of the suites, bringing to bear all his experience of performance to offer a rewarding companion for everyone, from the casual listener to the performing musician.
Available Format: Book
Anne Martin worked as a music teacher after graduating from Homerton College, Cambridge with a degree in Music and Education. She became interested in Early Music and the recorder in her twenties and has taught the recorder and conducted recorder groups for many years as well as arranging music, composing and writing. Her interest in the consort music of William Byrd led to the completion of a doctorate at the University of Aberdeen in 2020.
Available Format: Book
David Smith - Head of Digital
