The two most common instruments in the Renaissance were the flute and lute
(and related instruments in their respective families). Every ensemble included
at least these two instruments or their variants. Paintings from the time
often show musicians playing these two instruments, and a large repertory
of music was written for the two of them together.
This disc contains a wide variety of pieces from the Renaissance arranged
- as was common at the time - for flute and lute. Songs, madrigals, keyboard
works and pieces for other instruments are tastefully arranged and performed
on this recording, from a diverse selection of styles and composers. There
are also a couple of solo lute works and solo flute works as well, which
lend more variety to the recording.
Some of the pieces stand out more than others. Novell's Galliard,
an arrangement of a virginal piece, works surprisingly well on flute and
vihuela, with its many runs up and down the scale. The Byrd piece,
La Volta, is more of a showpiece for the vihuela, which provides an
attractive accompaniment for the flute, whose melodies are more simple. The
three pieces by Diego Ortiz all have a clear Spanish sound to them.
The lute is more present here than the flute, and the arrangements are quite
interesting. The works by Attaignant, all for solo lute, have that
slightly haunting sound of troubadours' songs. One can easily imagine them
being played in the great hall of a castle, as the nobles dined. This
little-known composer deserves to be heard more.
The composers featured on this disc are from all over Europe: Belgium, Spain,
England, Italy, and more. Spanning the entire 16th century, this gives an
excellent overview of the diversity of music during this extremely fertile
period.
This disc is an interesting introduction to the music of the Renaissance,
and an anthology of various composers of the time.
Kirk McElhearn
CONTACT DETAILS
Bella Musica Edition
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Bella Musica Edition (Antes Edition)
Eisenbahnstr. 30
D- 77815 BÜHL
Telephone: +49 (0)7223-98550
Telefax: +49 (0)7223-985566
Janette
Flüel - Flute and recorder
