What baroque/early music are you listening to?

[MickyD]

Richard, I can't think of a better remedy than that! Hope things improve for you soon and look forward to your report on "Zais". It contains some fine music.

[Mandryka]

Extraordinary how he manages to reveal in this music the interiority and spirituality he found in Frescobaldi. He makes the toccatas sound like, you know, important and profound kind of thing.

[CallMePaul]

"Music for Henry V and the House of Lancaster", Andrew Kirkman & The Binchois Consort.

I have enjoyed this alongside the group's other recordings of 15th century music, The Lily and the Rose and Music for Saint Katherine. These are part of the "Music and Alabaster" project also involving the universities of Birmingham and Nottingham.

[Mandryka]

AuntDaisy and CallMePaul

Do you guys know Andrew Kirkman’s inaugural lecture at Birmingham University here?

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-artslaw/music/andrew-kirkman-inaugural-lecture.pdf

Well worth reading. It inspired me to look up his recording of the motet Incomprehensibilia firme, and it’s every bit an amazing piece of music he says it is. Kirkman recorded it on A Marriage of England of Burgundy, and Orlando Consort recorded it on their Busnois cd, which has Robert Harre Jones and Mark Dobell, as you’d expect the two interpretations are very different from each other. I don’t think anyone else tackled it.

[AuntDaisy]

AuntDaisy and CallMePaul
Do you guys know Andrew Kirkman’s inaugural lecture at Birmingham University here?

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-artslaw/music/andrew-kirkman-inaugural-lecture.pdf

Well worth reading. It inspired me to look up his recording of the motet Incomprehensibilia firme, and it’s every bit an amazing piece of music he says it is. Kirkman recorded it on A Marriage of England of Burgundy, and Orlando Consort recorded it on their Busnois cd, which has Robert Harre Jones and Mark Dobell, as you’d expect the two interpretations are very different from each other. I don’t think anyone else tackled it.

Thanks Mandryka - new to me & a fascinating read. Also to you & CallMePaul for the CD suggestions.

I think there's also a 2014 video recording of the lecture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My06tLlsNfY

[Mandryka]

Toyahiko Satoh plays what I think are late works by Robert de Visée on Carpe Diem Records. I just can’t recommend this recording more enthusiastically, when you’re in the mood. It’s somehow full of contentment and nostalgia. Can’t explain it, you have to listen.

[Mandryka]

Enjoying this, this morning. Götz seems to have completely missed the boat due to poor distribution. Large catalogue but on a niche and now defunct label for the original CDs, hardly any digital presence. This is a great shame.

Also been really enjoying this Titelouze




Sylvain Ciaravolo also hasn’t done well in the transition to digital, but better than Roland Götz! This is a valuable recording IMO - full of colour and life.

[Mandryka]

Having been really impressed by Gustav Leonhardt's two Francois Couperin CDs, I thought I'd explore recordings from people who were around Amsterdam Conservatory when he was there. So far I've found this one from Asperen, and one from Tilman Skowroneck and two CDs worth from Alan Curtis
Are there any others?

This one from Asperen is in the predictable Asperen manner -- counterpoint and tempo full of life -- lively Couperin. Intense. It's very good. The Curtis is sweet and lyrical and easy to listen to for a short time.

[MickyD]

When it comes to Couperin, I have to say that Christophe Rousset's complete cycle for Harmonia Mundi is my go to set. Beautifully played and recorded on splendid French originals.

[Mandryka]

Yes, I have those CDs and maybe will dig them out some time soon. At the moment I’m just enjoying Leonhardt and Asperen (and Rousset studied with Asperen I think.)

[Mandryka]

The great interest here is the sense of impetuousness, it’s something I can’t remember hearing before from any other performer.

She makes the music comes across as melody and accompaniment. Not always - the C major Sarabande and the F major allemande are notable and impressive counterexamples - but often. Melody and accompaniment is her default. All the life is in the top voice. In the past, when I’ve been listening to more contrapuntal ways of playing it, I’ve found what Blandine Verlet does really disappointing. It seemed like dumbing down almost, or rather simplifying. But that was some time ago, and now it seems easy to listen to.

And that impulsiveness is quite something to hear - really impressive. It’s like a force of nature, astonishing and irresistible in the C major passacaglia and F major gigue for example. It’s like, she’s completely abandoned here self to the muse, duende has possessed her, so palpable is the impression of spontaneity. I can see why so many people adore her.

[MickyD]

I thought this thread needed waking up again!

Has anyone else been collecting the recent volumes from François Joubert-Caillet of the complete viol music by Marin Marais? I have four out of the five boxes and am completely won over by them. The music of course is just divine but the performers shine and the decisions about different continuo instruments so well done and effective, ringing the changes between each suite. I've had the admirable vintage set of selections from Jordi Savall on my shelves for years but it is so good to now have all the five books by Marais. You wouldn't listen to each disc in one sitting, I think, but what a superb achievement this is from Joubert-Caillet.

[pastoralguy]

Lassus. St. Matthew Passion.

Bo Holten directing Musica Ficta.

[Sir Velo]

I thought this thread needed waking up again!

Has anyone else been collecting the recent volumes from François Joubert-Caillet of the complete viol music by Marin Marais? I have four out of the five boxes and am completely won over by them. The music of course is just divine but the performers shine and the decisions about different continuo instruments so well done and effective, ringing the changes between each suite. I've had the admirable vintage set of selections from Jordi Savall on my shelves for years but it is so good to now have all the five books by Marais. You wouldn't listen to each disc in one sitting, I think, but what a superb achievement this is from Joubert-Caillet.

Not so much collecting them as streaming them!- I agree they're all very fine. I hadn't appreciated Volume V had come out, so thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[MickyD]

Not so much collecting them as streaming them!- I agree they're all very fine. I hadn't appreciated Volume V had come out, so thanks for bringing that to my attention.

Glad to have been of service and pleased to know someone else is enjoying these recordings.