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Early and Renaissance Music Resources at the Library
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Some featured items are linked via a cover to enable you to listen to tracks or read more about the items.
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 | Lux feminae performed by Montserrat Figueras, soprano ; supporting singers and instrumentalists. "Lux Feminae is a celebratory disc because the best approach to life is to celebrate everything and take time to celebrate. It is a hymn to the place of woman through history, focusing on her aspects of light: mysticism, sensuality, motherhood, love, lament, rejoicing and wisdom. " (drawn from Montserrat Figueras on the Alia Vox website) |
Scope
What is "early" music? Generally speaking, music composed before about 1600. This can cover the Middle Ages (Mediaeval), or the Renaissance, but can extend back further to more ancient times. Like Baroque music, Early music has recently undergone a revival - and especially attempts at "authentic" performance. A longer introductory definition of the period may be found at www.medieval.org .Musical instruments changed a lot over this period so check the guide to medieval and Renaissance musical instruments.
Books
 | The end of early music : a period performer's history of music for the twenty-first century, by Bruce Haynes. The music traditionally known as "early music" Haynes (Univ. of Montreal, and an eminent oboist, musicologist, and instrument builder) calls "rhetorical music" because it uses the art of communication to evoke emotion; this is in contrast to "strait" performance, in which the player is restrained (as in a straitjacket). Haynes argues that the present approach to baroque music is a second practice analogous to Monteverdi's second practice, which defined melodic music as different from the complex polyphonic music of the renaissance. In a companion Web site--available through the publisher's Web site--Haynes offers 72 recorded examples that substantiate his arguments. This is a thoughtful, entertaining, and important book by an expert who can write for both lay and professional readers. (drawn from Syndetics annotation). |
 | Medieval music, edited by Richard H. Hoppin. Although arguably this book is not for the beginner, (it assumes a working knowledge of music and is rather scholarly at times), its thorough approach and placement of the music within its cultural or political environment recommend it. The first chapter covers the end of the Roman Empire up to 1000 A.D. while following chapters cover sacred music (Gregorian Chant, the music of the Offices/Mass, Embellishment of the liturgy, polyphony, and the Notre Dame School) and then switches over to secular music (trouveres, music outside France, and the motet). The book then covers the later medieval period, including the Ars Nova in France, Machaut, the Italian Ars Nova, with a section on English music. |
 | Companion to medieval and renaissance music, edited by Tess Knighton and David Fallows. This abandons a strictly chronological approach to one of essays grouped around genre topics such as folk-music tradition, mass and chant cycles, as well as instrumentation, pitch and performance. |
The listener's guide to medieval & Renaissance music, by Derrick Henry.
Selected CD compilations
 | Latin & English church music, by Christopher Tye. Performers: The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford ; Richard Pinel, organ ; Bill Ives, director. While Christopher Tye may not be a household name in 2005, he was a notable composer chiefly in the reign of Edward VI around the time of the English Reformation. Henry VIII is quoted to have said "England...one doctor hath for music's art, and that is Doctor Tye, admired for skill in music's harmony". |
 | Hortus deliciarum, Performed by Discantus (Musical group). 12th century Gregorian chants in part by Herrad of Hohenburg's and Hildegard von Bingen; other selections are anonymous. |
 | Monastic chant, 12 & 13 century European sacred music. Performed by Theatre of Voices ; Paul Hillier, director. CD 1. The age of Cathedrals : music from the Magnus liber Organi. CD 2. Hoquetus : medieval European vocal music. Gramophone Awards 2003 Record label of the year. (Harmonia Mundi) |
 | Dances from Terpsichore, by Michael Praetorius. Performed by Westra Aros Pilpare ; Bertil Farnlof, director. |
 | Art of the Netherlands, Early Music Consort of London ; David Munrow, conductor. Music by Josquin Desprez, Antoine Brumel, Johannes Ockeghem, Jacob Obrecht, Heinrich Isaac, Pierre de la Rue, and others. |
 | A dance in the garden of mirth : medieval instrumental music, performed by Dufay Collective. |
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 | Renaissance of the spirit : the music of Orlando di Lasso and his contemporaries. Performed by the members of I Fiamminghi and The Capella Currende; conductor by Rudolf Werthen and Erik van Nevel respectively. |
Some important genre and composers
| Ancient | Gregorian & other early chants |
| Troubadours and madrigals | Lute |
| Guillaume de Machaut | Keyboard music |
| Josquin Desprez | Palestrina |
Ancient
Sample CD:
 | La Musique de la Bible revelee : une notation millenaire decryptee. performed by Suzanne Haik Vantoura. Use the cover link ot listen to samples. |
Gregorian and other early chants
Sample CDs:
 | Salve Festa Dies : Gregorian chant for seasons of the year, Catholic Church. In Dulci Jubilo (Musical group) ; Alberto Turco, conductor. |
 | Canto Gregoriano. Major works of Gregorian Chant The library has both a score and a video, as well as the CD. |
Troubadours and Madrigals
Sample CDs:
 | Sweet is the song = Doux est le chant : music of the troubadours and trouveres, Catherine Bott, soprano. Click on the cover to listen to samples. |
 | English and Italian Renaissance madrigals, Hilliard Ensemble. Italian madrigals by - Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi, Antonio Caprioli, Loyset Compere, Jacques Arcaldet, Adrian Willaert and many others. English madrigal composers represented include Thomas Morley, Thomas Weelkes, John Wilbye, Orlando Gibbons, |
Troubadours: medieval music to sing and play, selected and edited by Brian Sargent.
Includes works by Adam de la Halle, and Guillaume de Machaut.
Lute
Sample CDs:
 | Between two hearts, performed by Ronn McFarlane. Works on this program mostly date from the early 1500's, when the European appetite for courtly dance was at its height. McFarlane has selected his favorites from among composers such as Joanambrosio Dalza, Pierre Attaingnant (a publisher of music actually), and Hans Judenkunig. The typical suite begins with a stately main dance (pavana or basse danse) and concludes with a faster, jumping dance (saltarello or hupfauf). (Amazon) |
 | Lute songs, lute solos, by John Dowland; performed by Alfred Deller, and Robert Spencer, with The Consort of Six. Dowland straddles the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He is valued as an English composer of solo songs, of the calibre of Purcell. He earned his living (as was typical for the time) by playing rather than composing, but it was sought after by both amateurs and professionals. Alfred Deller - the legendary counter-tenor - captures the essence of the melancholoy of Dowland's songs. |
 | Suite no. 1 in C major BWV 1007 ; Suite no. 2 in A minor BWV 1008 ; Suite no. 4 in B flat major BWV 1010 , by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performed by Nigel North. |
Guillaume de Machaut
Generally assumed to live 1300-1377, Machaut was a French priest who wrote his own texts (known for his poetry as much as music) and is an accomplished composer in the Ars Nova style. He was an early exponent of "isorhythm" - where a rhythmic pattern of notes and rests was repeated at fixed points throughout a composition. He is studied as Machaut is also credited with the first fully fledged complete mass composed by one man. It was also one of the earliest works where the music is suggestive of the emotional or spiritual content of the text. Longer biographical details.
Sample CD:
 | Messe de Notre Dame ; Le lai de la fonteinne ; Ma finest mon commencement, Guillaume de Machaut, Performed by Hilliard Ensemble. The score for this work is shelved at 780.56 MAC. |
Early Keyboard music
Sample CDs:
 | Fitzwilliam virginal book : excerpts, Performed by Ton Koopman. Toccata / Giovanni Picchi; Pavana / Orlando Gibbons; Fancie / Thomas Morley; Ut re mi fa so la / John Bull; Up tail's all / Giles Farnaby; Pavana ; Galiarda / William Byrd; Amarilli di Julio Romano / Peter Philips; Pakington's pownde / Anonymus; Pauana dolorosa treg(ian) ; Galiarda dolorosa / Peter Philips; Fantasia / William Byrd. |
Fantasies, dreams and jewels: early English music, performed by Martin Souter.
Includes works by Adam de la Halle, and Guillaume de Machaut.
Musik aus fruher Zeit 1550-1650 = Music of ancient times = Musique du temps ancien, selected by Willi Apel.
A selection of early keyboard music from Germany, Italy, England, Spain and France.
Josquin des Prez
(d. 1521) French. He probably received his early musical lessons from Okeghem, and from 1486 to 1494 he sang in the Vatican's papal choir. He was known as one of the great Franco-Flemish contrapuntists although his compositions encapsulate every musical style of the time. As well as 20 masses and about 110 motets there are over 75 secular pieces, primarily French chansons, with a sprinkling of instrumental pieces. A particularly witty example of his secular style is "El Grillo" (The Cricket) which, with repeated words on one note, imitates the cricket's clicking sound.
Sample CD:
 | Missa Faisant regretz; Motetti de Passione , performed by The Clerks' Group ; Edward Wickham, director. Contains - From Motetti de Passione. Tu solus qui facis miribailia ; Domine, non secundum ; Ave verum corpus ; O Domine Jesu Christe ; Christem ducem/Qui velatus / Josquin des Prez -- Tout a par moy / Walter Frye -- Missa faisant regretz / Josquin des Prez. |
Giovanni Palestrina
(c1526-1594)Italian. In fact, Palestrina was the town of his birth, not his surname. He was dismissed from a post as organist at the Papal Chapel when it was discovered he was married. He worked mainly at cathedrals so his output is mainly sacred - over one hundred masses, three hundred motets, hundreds of hymns, psalms, litanies and lamentations, as well as over a hundred secular madrigals.
Sample CDs:
 |  Stabat Mater, and other choral music, performed by the Cardinall's Musick.Music for Holy Week - opening with the plainsong Hosanna announcing Christ's entry into Jerusalem, ending with Resurrection motets. |
 | In Paradisum, performed by Hilliard Ensemble. Music of Victoria and Palestrina - 17th century French chant of the Requiem with polyphony by Tomas de Victoria and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina . |
A Palestrina celebration.
Pro Cantione Antiqua ; Mark Brown or Bruno Turner, conductors.
Contains - Miss Papae Marcelli. Kyrie ; Gloria -- Stabat Mater -- Credo : from Missa brevis -- Sicut cervus/Sitivit anima mea -- Sanctus & Benedictus : from Missa Assumpta est Maria -- Superflumina Babylonis -- Agnus Dei : from Missa Aeterna Christi munera -- Lamenations of Jeremiah the prophet. Fourth book for 5 & 6 voices.
Latest DVDs
(U.S or U.K. version featured in link)
 | Playing Elizabeth's Tune, William Byrd, performed by the Tallis Scholars. The works include: 'Ave Verum Corpus', 'Diffusa Est Gratia', 'Magnificat', 'Ne Irascaris', 'O Lord, Make Thy Servant Elizabeth' and 'Vigilate'. Filmed in Tewkesbury Abbey featuring a mass for four voices. The second part is a documentary on Byrd made for television. |
 | Hildegard von Bingen : a portrait, performed by Vox Animae. Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179) is one of the earliest female composers whose story is known. The BBC has put together a 2-DVD set containing several programmes from various sources. Disc two contains a dramatised account of Hildegard's life performed by Patricia Routledge. |
 | Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, by Claudio Monteverdi; performed by The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists, with John Eliot Gardiner. The choice of the location for this performance was Venice's San Marco, where Monteverdi spent much of his career. While the vocal performance itself of the Monteverdi Choir is outstanding, they reach another plane by singing from memory, without scores.
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Selected Early Music Web-site links
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| NAXOS Music Library. Use your library card to log on to listen to 276,000 tracks from over 19,000 CDs, including Chandos and Naxos labels. Oxford Music Online. Contains The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., (2001, 29 vols). Features more than 50,000 articles on musicians, composers, musicologists, instruments, genres, terms and much more. Use your library card to log in. |
Early music FAQs. Extensive links and helpful information e.g. suggestions for beginners.
Renaissance Composers. Many composer links, as well as history and genre information. Other good features are the links to Mediaeval to Renaissance Dance and Art, scores and facsimiles, together with national style guides.
Recorders and Early Music Union. the NZ website of the society of supporters of performance of classical and older music and dance, and recorder playing of all kinds. They promote the use of instruments, techniques and interpretation appropriate to the composer's culture. Check this out for local details of soirees, workshops and festivals.
Medieval Music links. An extensive encyclopedic site which is highly recommended. There are individual pages on styles extending back to Ancient Greek music, and covering all major music streams, including plainsong and Gregorian Chant.
Medieval period. and Renaissance period . Summarises main features of the period before giving links to major composers pages.
www.teacheroz.com. An extensive portal site assembled by an American teacher for her students. Copious other links to related topics such Renaissance history, architecture, religion etc.
Some other pages in our own web-site -
MyLibrary classical music collection new arrivals
Baroque Music - an introductory guide
Guide to searching classical music at Wellington City Libraries
