The Sephardic Experience quadrilogy is a priceless sound document in which the Renaissance Players present their own performance versions of well– and lesser–known romansas (ballads), kantigas (religious songs) and muwashshahat (poetical forms) which have survived for centuries entirely via oral/aural transmission by parents, grandparents, friends and acquaintances within the family circle, while working, or as a form of ad hoc entertainment in Sephardic communities of the West and East. Sadly, as the end of the 20th century draws near we are witnessing the alarming disappearance of Spanish–Jewish culture due to vast, worldwide changes in social circumstances. In fact, these songs are no longer a part of the rich, musical fabric of the everyday life of the Sephardim.
The vihuela is not a viol, it is a sort of lute. Vihuela and lute coexisted in Spain but the composers wrote only for the former. The works played in this recording were mainly published between 1535 and 1554; Daza's book (1576) and a collection of other authors (1593) mark the end of the era of the vihuela. Then the instrument lent its shape to the guitar, as you can infer from the cover of the CD.
Tot ver in de achttiende eeuw was de luit hét instrument van de Europese adel. De beste renaissance- en barokcomponisten schreven talloze werken voor het instrument. Een van de beste luitisten van dit moment, Christopher Wilson, maakte een prachtige keuze uit het enorme luitrepertoire uit de Franse renaissance. Verfijnd, rustgevend en sfeervol.
With this special edition for the English-speaking countries (2 CDs & 100 pages booklet, in two different editions: Spanish or English), Cantus tries to fill an important gap. Given that our most important aim is the diffusion of early music through recordings of the highest musical quality, presented with booklets containing the best possible essays (informative, accessible, readable, updated), we felt that preparing this dictionary (or guide) on the most important instruments used during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance could be useful and important.
Originally issued in the Century series in 2005, this EARLYMUSIC set by the artists of harmonia mundi now returns to invite you to travel the centuries in music. In 10 CDs and more than 12 hours listening, this unique guide will allow you to (re)discover the music of the past and develop your musical knowledge. Each CD is accompanied by a detailed booklet dealing with the musical, historical and geographical context, closely linked with key elements from the visual arts of the appropriate period. From the ancient world to 1600: the pleasure of discovery is complete, for eyes and ears alike!
"The Renaissance is well known for its cultural giants. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and above all Michelangelo epitomize a period when the human spirit seemed to grow and gain in confidence. This collection of complete works celebrates the musical geniuses who contributed to this astonishing period in European history." Peter Phillips
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.