The Renaissance Keyboard

Following the release last year of works by Holzer, Antegnati and Pellegrini, the renowned organist Federico Del Sordo further delves into the world of Renaissance and early Baroque keyboard repertoire. In this set, he turns his attention to Italian composer Aurelio Bonelli.

Classical rock ensemble formed as an outlet for a pair of ex-Yardbirds, but later driven by Annie Haslam's three-octave voice and John Tout's piano.
The history of Renaissance is essentially the history of two separate groups, rather similar to the two phases of the Moody Blues or the Drifters. The original group was founded in 1969 by ex-Yardbirds members Keith Relf and Jim McCarty as a sort of progressive folk-rock band, who recorded two albums (of which only the first, self-titled LP came out in America, on Elektra Records) but never quite made it, despite some success on England's campus circuit…

Under the label Alia Vox Diversa , Jordi Savall invites the ensemble Tasto Solo, founded in 2006, whose first albums were critically acclaimed : Diapason d’or, Amadeus “CD du Mois”, Ritmo & Audio Clásica “Excellent”, Pizzicato “Supersonic”, Scherzo “Exception- Nel”, France Musique “Coup de Coeur”… It brings us back to the Europe of the XVIIth Century , which experienced an unparalleled development of treatises about the art of instru- mental and vocal performance. Italy was the epic enter of a new style derived from the world of dance. This album revolves mainly around the work of composer Vincenzo Ruffo and his contemporaries. The instruments used in the present recording are typical of the Italian culture of the early Renaissance in chamber music : a small harpsichord without damper in the upper register, a simple harp, a viola da gamba and a lute.

Jana Lewitová & Rudolf Měřinský - Lute Songs in 16th and 17th century Europe (1991) {ARTA Records F 1 0017-2211}
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© 1991 ARTA Records | F 1 0017-2211
Classical / Renaissance / Early Music / Vocals / Lute

We shall probably never know when it was that a human voice first joined a musical instrument in song. Classical antiquity was familiar with the combination, and though we may feel that the divine Apollo with his golden lyre is not convincing evidence, the poets who accompanied their lyrics with a lyre or kithara in Olympic contests are historically attested. The biblical David with his harp, singing to allay the wrath of King Saul, became the symbol of the human and the divine principles in art. From time immemorial the human voice, a gift from above – from God, Nature or the Fates – accompanied by a musical instrument devised by man (perhaps to feel himself closer to the Creator), has given expression to the inexpressible – the very essence of music.

William Byrd’s keyboard music has always stood in the shadow of his vocal compositions. Drawing simultaneously on English and Italian Renaissance traditions, Byrd created a remarkable musical language that was flexible and entirely refined keyboard instruments of his time. Both keyboard instruments used on this recording are original pieces.