Renaissance Sound fx

The first album by the '70s (i.e. Annie Haslam) version of Renaissance is a transitional work, rooted in more standard hard rock sounds (including psychedelia) than what followed. One can spot the difference, which may please some listeners and put others off, in the fairly heavy guitar sound of "Prologue," Rob Hendry's electric instrument playing both lead and rhythm parts prominently at various times behind Annie Haslam's soaring vocals and adjacent to John Tout's piano. "Kiev" may also startle some longtime fans, since Haslam doesn't handle the lead vocals, the male members' singing being much more prominent. The ethereal, flowingly lyrical "Sounds of the Sea" is the cut here that most resembles the music that the group became known for in the years ahead, and shows Haslam singing in the high register for which she would become famous.

Reissue of At The Royal Albert Hall Part 2 with tracks in different order. Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia", and "Ashes Are Burning". They developed a unique sound, combining a female lead vocal with a fusion of classical, folk, rock, and jazz influences. Characteristic elements of the Renaissance sound are Annie Haslam's wide vocal range, prominent piano accompaniment, orchestral arrangements, vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, and versatile drum work. The band created a significant following in the northeast United States in the 1970s, and that region remains their strongest fan base.

The first album by the '70s (i.e. Annie Haslam) version of Renaissance is a transitional work, rooted in more standard hard rock sounds (including psychedelia) than what followed. One can spot the difference, which may please some listeners and put others off, in the fairly heavy guitar sound of "Prologue," Rob Hendry's electric instrument playing both lead and rhythm parts prominently at various times behind Annie Haslam's soaring vocals and adjacent to John Tout's piano. "Kiev" may also startle some longtime fans, since Haslam doesn't handle the lead vocals, the male members' singing being much more prominent.

Madame d'amours is an enchanting and pleasingly varied collection of pieces performed for flute consort by The Attaignant Consort. The Consort was founded in 1998 by four graduates (from Australia, France, the Netherlands and Italy) of the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague. Having studied historical flute performance practice under Barthold Kuijken and/or Wilbert Hazelzet, these experts (they also work with such renowned groups as Les Musiciens du Louvre, Freiburger Barockorchester and Musica Antiqua Köln – amongst others) also pursue their passion for the sound world of the Renaissance flute in collaboration with Italian flute maker, Giovanni Tardino. The premise of all concerned is that such consort music aspired to a closeness to the patterns and intonations of the human voice. This was (and is, here) achieved by careful attention to instrumental articulation, expressiveness and dynamic shading. The Attaignant Consort likes to play with facsimiles of the original parts in preference to scores; and from memory whenever possible. For this recording the Consort is joined by harpist Marta Graziolino, lutanist Nigel North and flautist Mathieu Langlois.

Johannes Ockeghem - Missae Cuiusvis Toni & Prolationum - The Sound and The Fury (2013) {Digital Download fb1302202}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (qobuz.com) -> 521 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 260 Mb | Artwork | 5% repair rar
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Classical / Renaissance / Early Music / Sacred / Polyphony / Masses

Both as composer and person, Johannes Ockeghem remains an enigmatic figure to us today. His surname refers to a small village, Okegem, in eastern Flanders, where the name appears as early as the 13th century. Yet payment documents from St. Martin’s church in Saint-Ghislain in Henegauen near Mons, some 25 kilometres from Okegem, show that our composer was born there and that a mass was endowed to his memory, celebrated up until the French revolution of 1789. We do not know when Ockeghem was born, but the fact that he wrote a mass ­based on the tenor of a chanson by the famous composer Gilles de Binche, ­‘Binchoys’, together with an impressive Lamento in remembrance of him, may suggest that ­Ockeghem received his musical education in Mons (in today’s Belgium), where ­Binchoys held the post of organist of Ste Waudru from 1419 to 1423 and with which he remained in contact until his death.

Matthæus Pipelare (ca. 1450 – ca. 1515) - Paradise Regained - The Sound and the Fury (2014) {fra bernardo Digital Download}
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Classical / Renaissance / Polyphony / Sacred / Vocal / Masses

In short, Pipelare’s striking personality becomes apparent through hearing and analysing his masses rather than from the meagre details of his life. It is as if he redefines polyphonic composition with each work, rather than reverting to the tried and tested as say Jakob Obrecht did. There is nothing immediately recognisable, nothing that sounds even vaguely familiar, nothing can be categorised, rather everything sounds new, fresh, lively – wilfully individual!

Firminus Caron (ca. 1440 – ca. 1475) - Masses & Chansons - The Sound and The Fury (2013) {3CD fra bernardo Digital Download fb 1207302}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download -> 996 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 456 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
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Classical / Renaissance / Sacred / Vocal / Lute

From the list of his surviving compositions and the number of their sources, Firmin Caron was clearly highly esteemed in the second half of the fifteenth century, particularly as a composer of French chansons. Most sources of his works are of Italian provenance; nonetheless the oldest French sources, from around 1470, leave little doubt that the composer himself was a Frenchman. Born around 1440 in Amiens and probably trained at the choir school, he developed his original musical language there under the stylistic influence of Guillaume Dufay.

Some years ago Austrian radio ORF started a series of recordings with polyphony from the renaissance on its own label. The ensemble The Sound and the Fury has recorded music by well-known masters like Nicolas Gombert, Pierre de la Rue and Johannes Ockeghem. But they have also paid attention to some forgotten composers of the 15th century. One of them is Guillaume Faugues. As so often there is quite a difference between his reputation in his own time and in modern times. It is very likely nothing of his oeuvre has ever been recorded before.

Some years ago Austrian radio ORF started a series of recordings with polyphony from the renaissance on its own label. The ensemble The Sound and the Fury has recorded music by well-known masters like Nicolas Gombert, Pierre de la Rue and Johannes Ockeghem. But they have also paid attention to some forgotten composers of the 15th century. One of them is Guillaume Faugues. As so often there is quite a difference between his reputation in his own time and in modern times. It is very likely nothing of his oeuvre has ever been recorded before.