medieval.org
EMI (His Master's Voice) "Angel Series" SLS 988
1976
Virgin Classics 0946 3 85811 2 3 CD
2007
Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
The Records
These records are designed to illustrate the principal types of instrument in use in Europe before
1600. They have been carefully planned in conjunction with the book included in the box: both
follow the same sequence so that book and records may be used together. Those wishing to
listen to the records straight through may like to simply follow the pictures from the book;
alternatively the listener may prefer to read the section on any particular instrument first,
followed by the relevant musical illustration.
The illustrations themselves have been chosen to demonstrate as far as possible the function,
range and special characteristics of each instrument. In the Middle Ages the accent is on solo
pieces, sometimes with a suitable accompaniment; in the Renaissance the emphasis is more on
the development of the complete soprano-to-bass consorts. Although many early wind instruments
have no specific repertoire of their own, some unusual examples of specific instrumentation have
been included, for instance the pieces by the Monk of Salzburg evidently intended for primitive
horns and trumpets (S.2, B.1a, 2b and 2d), Johann Schein's Paduana for four crumhorns (S.3,
B.4) two of the chansons from Attaingnant's 1533 collection which are marked as suitable for
flutes or recorders (S.3, B.8 and 9) and Monteverdi's famous Toccata for trumpet band from
Orfeo (S.4, B.1). Whilst some of the leading composers of the day have been included (Landini,
Machaut, Dufay, Byrd, Dowland, Frescobaldi, Monteverdi, Praetorius) these records seemed an
excellent opportunity to feature some of the lesser known composers as well. As far as possible
the illustrations consist of complete pieces of music; in one or two cases, however, extracts or
abridged versions have been used.
In order to keep within the time limits imposed by two gramophone records, a few of the
more obscure instruments described in the book have regretfully had to be omitted. Others are
included in ensembles rather than being given a solo to themselves (e.g. the courtaut, S.3, B.10,
and the chitarrone, S.4, B.5). This is the case with all the non-melodic percussion instruments,
since their main purpose is to provide some kind of rhythmic accompaniment; the listener will
find the relevant illustrations to chapter 5 spread over all four sides of these records. A list of the
percussion instruments illustrated is included in the side analysis.
In the details of the instruments and their makers given below, dates are provided only for
original instruments. Where no such information is given, the instrument concerned is a modern
replica or reconstruction. On the first two sides a number of folk instruments have been employed,
as being the nearest equivalent to their mediaeval ancestors. Instruments which have been in
continuous use since the Middle Ages such as the shawm, hurdy-gurdy and straight trumpet
provide an invaluable link with the live sounds of the past which is missing even in the case of
surviving original instruments.
David Munrow
Record 1
THE MIDDLE AGES
1 Woodwind ·
2 Keyboard ·
3 Brass ·
4 Strings
5 Percussion (Mediaeval & Renaissance)
Record 2
RENAISSANCE
6 Woodwind ·
7 Keyboard ·
8 Brass ·
9 Strings
Record 1
THE MIDDLE AGES
1 Woodwind
1. Shawm
SALTARELLO [1:49] ANONYMOUS 14TH CENTURY ITALIAN
David Munrow oriental shawm (folk instrument from Hong Kong)
Alan Lumsden mediaeval trumpet (folk instrument from Marrakesh, Morocco)
David Corkhill nakers (reconstruction, David Corkhill, London)
Christopher Hogwood tabor (Biesemans, Brussels, Belgium)
James Tyler tambourine (folk instrument from Cairo, Egypt)
(For the later European type of shawm with pirouette instead of disc see S.2 B.2 last item)
2. Reed pipe
SHEPHERD'S TUNE [0:56] TRADITIONAL SYRIAN
David Munrow reed pipe (folk instrument from Southern Spain)
3. Bagpipes
(a) cylindrical chanter
SALTARELLO [1:12] ANONYMOUS 14TH CENTURY ITALIAN
David Munrow bagpipes (folk instrument from Sofia, Bulgaria)
(b) conical chanter
BALLADE ‘DAME SE VOUS M'ESTES’ [1:55]
GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT (c. 1300-1377)
David Munrow bagpipes (folk instrument from Madrid, Spain)
4. Bladder pipes
PASTOURELLE ‘AU TANS D'AOST’ [1:04] ANONYMOUS 13TH CENTURY FRENCH
from the Chansonnier Cangé
David Munrow and James Tyler bladder pipes (adapted from traditional Bulgarian bagpipe chanters.
No attempt has been made to 'tune' the naturally flat leading notes)
David Corkhill tambourin (reconstruction, David Corkhill, London)
5. Panpipes
CHANSON Á REFRAIN ‘A PRISAI QU'EN CHANTANT PLOUR’ [1:09] ANONYMOUS 13TH CENTURY FRENCH
from the Chansonnier Cangé
John Turner panpipes (traditional Hungarian model, Bigej Josef, Budapest)
6. Transverse flute
MINNESINGER MELODY ‘OWE DAZ NACH LIEBE GAT’ [1:30]
MASTER ALEXANDER (LATE 13TH CENTURY)
David Munrow flute (folk instrument from the Andes, Bolivia)
(for the mediaeval flute in an ensemble see S.2. B.15.)
7. Six-holed pipe
CHANSON PIEUSE ‘DOU TRES DOUZ NON’ [1:15]
THIBAUT OF NAVARRE (1201-1253)
with improvised prelude and postlude for jew's harp
David Munrow six-holed pipe (folk instrument from the Andes, Peru)
James Tyler jew's harp (traditional Italian model, unknown make)
(More extended mediaeval dances for both six-holed pipe and recorder can be heard on ‘The Art of
the Recorder’, SLS 5022)
8. Double pipes
VIRELAI ‘GRACIEUSETTE’ [1:15]
JEHAN DE LESCUREL (d. 1304)
David Munrow double pipes (folk instrument form the Andes, Bolivia)
9. Pipe and tabor
DANSA ‘EN VOLGRA, S'ESSER POGES’ [1:08]
GUIRAUT D'ESPANHA DE TOLOZA (1240-1270)
David Munrow pipe and tabor (pipe, Jim Jones, St. Albans, Herts; tabor, unknown make,
supplied by the English Folk Song and Dance Society)
10. Recorder
ENGLISH TE DEUM [1:49]
ANONYMOUS SETTING c. 1300
(solo plainsong version—bells alone
3 part setting in ‘discant’ style—bells and recorders)
David Munrow alto recorder (Bärenreiter, Kassel, W. Germany)
Oliver Brookes tenor recorder (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
James Tyler tenor recorder (Bärenreiter, Kassel, W. Germany)
Gillian Reid chime bells (Mean and Stainbank, Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London)
11. Gemshorn
CHANSONNETTE ‘QUANT JE VOY YVER RETORNER’ [1:29]
COLIN MUSET (EARLY 13TH CENTURY)
David Munrow alto gemshorn (Rainer Weber, Bayerbach, W. Germany)
James Tyler lute (Donald Warnock, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.)
2 Keyboard
12. Portative organ
MADRIGAL ‘AY SCHONSOLATO ED AMOROSO’ [1:38]
VINCENZO DA RIMINI (fl. c. 1350-1375)
Christopher Hogwood portative organ (Noel Mander, London)
Oliver Brookes bass rebec (reconstruction, Christopher Wright, London)
13. Positive organ
ESTAMPIE from the Robertsbridge fragment [2:17]
ENGLISH c. 1320
(only two of the original four puncti or sections are played here, in the form AAB)
Christopher Hogwood positive organ (Noel Mander, London)
(Other examples of mediaeval organ music, including another piece from the Robertsbridge fragment,
can be heard on 'The Art of Courtly Love', SLS 863)
14. Hurdy-gurdy
CHANSON ‘JOLIVETÉ ET BONE AMOR’ [1:35]
JEHAN D'ESQUIRI (13TH CENTURY)
Christopher Hogwood hurdy-gurdy (traditional pattern, French, nineteenth century)
15. Clavichord
ELLEND DU HAST [2:08]
CONRAD PAUMANN (c. 1415-1473)
Christopher Hogwood fretted clavichord (Christopher Nobbs, Goudhurst, Kent,
copy of a sixteenth century instrument in the Museum of Musical Instruments, Brussels, Belgium)
3 Brass
1. Trumpet
(a) clarion
FANFARE ‘UNTARN SLAF TUT DEN SUMER WOL’ [1:00]
HERMANN, MONK OF SALZBURG (1365-1396)
(The melody has been slightly adapted to fit the restricted range of the instrument)
Michael Laird clarion (traditional pattern, French, nineteenth century)
(b) buisine
FANFARE ‘AD MODUM TUBAE’ [1:14]
GUILLAUME DUFAY (c. 1400-1474)
(adapted from the instrumental parts of Dufay's Gloria ad modum tubae.
A complete performance of this piece can be heard on CSD 3751)
Michael Laird and Jaan Wilson buisines (traditional wooden trumpets from Sweden)
2.
(a) Cowhorn
BALLADE ‘DE MOI DOLEREUS VOS CHANT’ [0:36]
GILLEBERT DE BERNEVILLE (1255-1280)
Alan Lumsden cowhorn (reconstruction, Alan Lumsden, London)
(b) Mediaeval cornett
DAS NACHTHORN [0:54]
HERMANN, MONK OF SALZBURG (1365-1396)
(the lower part is omitted in this recording)
Michael Laird mediaeval cornett (traditional tuohitorvi from Finland)
David Corkhill mediaeval triangle with rings (reconstruction, David Corkhill, London)
(c) Slide trumpet
GEISSLERLIED ‘MARIA MUOTER REINÛ MAÎT’ [0:54]
ANONYMOUS GERMAN 1349
Alan Lumsden slide trumpet (reconstruction, Philip Bate, London)
(d) Ensemble: mediaeval cornett, slide trumpet, alto shawm, tabor
DER TRUMPET [1:02]
HERMANN, MONK OF SALZBURG (1365-1396)
Michael Laird mediaeval cornett (traditional tuohitorvi from Finland)
Alan Lumsden slide trumpet (reconstruction, Philip Bate, London)
David Munrow alto shawm (Otto Steinkopf, Berlin, W. Germany)
David Corkhill tabor (Biesemans, Brussels, Belgium)
4 Strings
3. Harp
(a) metal strung
LAI ‘QUI PORROIT UN GUIERREDON’ [1:09] ANONYMOUS 13TH CENTURY FRENCH
from the Chansonnier Cangé
Gillian Reid harp with ‘bray’ pins (reconstruction, Alan Crumpler, Liverpool)
(b) gut strung
DANCE TUNE [0:59] ASCRIBED TO TASSIN 13TH CENTURY
Christopher Hogwood harp (copy by Keith Theobald, Tisbury, Wilts, of a traditional
nineteenth century Irish harp)
4. Lyre
GOLIARD MELODY ‘O ROMA NOBILIS’ [0:41] ANONYMOUS 11TH CENTURY
Eleanor Sloan lyre (reconstruction, Christopher Wright, London)
5. Psaltery
HYMN TO ST. MAGNUS ‘NOBILIS HUMILIS’ [0:57] ORKNEY ISLES 12TH CENTURY
Gillian Reid psaltery (reconstruction, Alan Crumpler, Liverpool)
6. Dulcimer
MADRIGAL ‘TANTO SOAVEMENTE’ [1:53] JACOPO DA BOLOGNA (FIRST HALF OF THE 14TH CENTURY)
David Corkhill dulcimer (traditional instrument from Hong Kong)
Eleanor Sloan treble rebec (adapted from a folk instrument from Yugoslavia)
7. Lute
MADRIGAL ‘DI NOVO É GIUNTO’ [2:10] JACOPO DA BOLOGNA (FIRST HALF OF THE 14TH CENTURY)
James Tyler lute (fretted oud, Damascus, Syria, c. 1900)
Oliver Brookes bass rebec (reconstruction, Christopher Wright, London)
8. Mandora
CHANSON ‘AMOURS QUE PORRA’ [1:17] THIBAUT DE BLASON (13TH CENTURY)
James Tyler mandora (adapted from a gnbrî, Marrakesh, Morocco)
9. Long-necked lute
‘AQUEL QUE DE VOONTADE’ [1:12]
ASCRIBED TO ALFONSO NICKNAMED ‘EL SABIO’ (REIGNED 1252-1284)
Cantigas de Santa Maria
CSM 249
James Tyler long-necked lute (traditional tanbura from Damascus, Syria)
10. Gittern
VIRELAI ‘QUANT JE SUI MIS’ [0:56]
GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT (c. 1300-1377)
Mary Remnant gittern (reconstruction, Ian Harwood and John Isaacs, Ely, Cambs.)
11. Citole
ENGLISH DANCE [0:56]
ANONYMOUS 13TH CENTURY
James Tyler citole (adapted from a renaissance style cittern by James Tyler, London)
(For the citole used as an accompanying instrument see S.2 B.12)
12. Rebec
LA SEPTIME ESTAMPIE REAL [1:13]
ANONYMOUS 13TH CENTURY FRENCH
Eleanor Sloan treble rebec (adapted from a folk instrument from Yugoslavia)
James Tyler citole (adapted from a renaissance style cittern by James Tyler, London)
Oliver Brookes tromba marina (reconstruction, Christopher Wright, London)
David Corkhill nakers (reconstruction, Paul Williamson after the design of Jeremy Montague)
(For the treble rebec used as an accompanying instrument see S.2 B6.
For the bass rebec used as an accompanying instrument see S.1 B.12 and S.2 B.7)
13. Fiddle
BALLATA ‘POI CHE DA TE MI CONVIEN’ [1:21]
FRANCESCO LANDINI (c. 1325-1397)
Eleanor Sloan fiddle (reconstruction, Robert Hadaway, Gayton, Norfolk)
Christopher Hogwood harp (copy by Keith Theobald, Tisbury, Wilts., of a traditional
nineteenth century Irish harp)
14. Bowed lyre
VIRELAI ‘COMMENT QU'A MOI’ [1:29]
GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT (c. 1300-1377)
Oliver Brookes bowed lyre (reconstruction of a large bowed lyre of the Welsh crwth
type by Christopher Wright, London)
15. Tromba marina
IMPROVISED FANFARE
MOTET ‘QUANT IE LE VOI—BON VIN DOIT—CIS CHANS VEULT BOIRE’ [1:00]
from the Roman de Fauvel (completed 1316)
ANONYMOUS EARLY 14TH CENTURY FRENCH
Oliver Brookes tromba marina (reconstruction, Christopher Wright, London)
James Tyler lute (Donald Warnock, Cambridge, Mass.)
David Munrow flute (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
(For the tromba marina as a drone instrument see S.2 B.12)
David Corkhill tabor (Biesemans, Brussels, Belgium)
5 Percussion (Mediaeval and Renaissance)
Although there is no separate percussion section to correspond with chapter 5, the following percussion instruments can be heard on these two records. |
|
Nakers S.1 B.1, S.2 B.12 |
Tambourine S.1 B.1 |
Tabor S.1 B.1, S.1 B.9, S.2 B.2, last item, S.3 B.7 |
Chime bells S.1 B.10 |
Kettledrums S.4 B.1 first item |
Xylophone S.3 B.15 |
Side drum S.3 B.1 |
Triangle S.2 B.2 second item |
Tambourin S.1 B.4 |
Jew's harp S.1 B.7 |
Record 2
THE RENAISSANCE
6 Woodwind
1. Shawm
TWO COURANTES [2:07]
SAMUEL VOELCKEL (LATE 16TH-EARLY 17tH CENTURY)
from Newe teutsche weltliche Gesänglein 1613
David Munrow (multi-tracking all four parts)
soprano shawm, playing soprano and alto parts (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
alto shawm (Otto Steinkopf, Berlin, W. Germany)
tenor shawm (Steinkopf/Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
David Corkhill side drum played without snare (modern military instrument, unknown make)
2. Curtal
CHANSON ‘CE QUI SOULOIT’ [1:39]
TIELMAN SUSATO (d. between 1561 AND 1564)
based on a chanson by Pierre Sandrin (c-1510-1561)
from Le Premier Livre des chansons 1554
David Munrow (double-tracking soprano and tenor parts)
soprano curtal (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
tenor curtal (Steinkopf/Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Andrew van der Beck bass curtal (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
(For the tenor curtal as a continuo instrument see S.4 B.3)
Courtaut
A bass courtaut can be heard playing with a consort of recorders on S.3 B.10
3. Rackett
CARO ORTOLANO [1:26]
GIORGIO MAINERIO (SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY)
from Il Primo Libro di Balli 1578
David Munrow tenor rackett (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
John Turner bass rackett (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Alan Lumsden quart-bass rackett (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Andrew van der Beck great-bass rackett (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
(For the quart-bass rackett supporting a mixed ensemble see S.3 B.15)
(A consort of racketts can also be heard on ‘Music by Praetorius’ CSD 3761)
4. Crumhorn
PADOUANA [2:04]
JOHANN SCHEIN (1586-1630)
from the Banchetto Musicale 1617
(Schein specifically prescribes crumhorns for this piece)
David Munrow alto crumhorn (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Andrew van der Beck alto crumhorn (Gunter Körber, Berlin, W. Germany)
James Tyler tenor crumhorn (Gunter Körber, Berlin, W. Germany)
Oliver Brookes bass crumhorn (Gunter Körber, Berlin, W. Germany)
(A consort of crumhorns can also be heard on ‘Two Renaisance Dance Bands’ HQS 1249)
5. Cornamuse
BICINIUM ‘LE CUER DE VOUS’ [1:05]
ANTONIO GARDANE (c. 1500-1570)
from Georg Rhaw's Bicinia gallica et latina 1545
David Munrow soprano cornamuse (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Andrew van der Beck alto cornamuse (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
6. Kortholt
BICINIUM ‘MON PETIT CUEUR’ [1:15]
GUILLAUME LE HEURTEUR (FIRST HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY)
from Georg Rhaw's Bicinia gallica et latina 1545
Andrew van der Beck tenor kortholt (Steinkopf/Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
David Munrow bass kortholt (Steinkopf/Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
7. Rauschpfeife
THREE BRANSLES DOUBLES [1:29]
MICHAEL PRAETORIUS (1571-1621)
from Terpsichore 1611
David Munrow sopranino rauschpfeife (Gunter Körber, Berlin, W. Germany)
James Tyler soprano rauschpfeife (Gunter Körber, Berlin, W. Germany)
Andrew van der Beck sopranino rauschpfeife (Gunter Körber, Berlin, W. Germany)
Oliver Brookes alto rauschpfeife (Rainer Weber, Bayerbach, W. Germany)
Alan Lumsden tenor sackbut (copy by Boosey & Hawkes of an instrument by Jörg Neuschel dated 1557)
David Corkhill tabor (Biesemans, Brussels, Belgium)
8. Flute
CHANSON ‘AMOR ME POINGT’ [1:18]
CLAUDIN DE SERMISY (c. 1495-1562)
from Pierre Attaingnant's second book of Chansons musicales 1533
(This piece is marked by Attaingnant as being suitable for either recorders or flutes)
John Turner alto flute (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
David Munrow alto flute (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
Alan Lumsden tenor flute (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
James Tyler bass flute (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
9. Recorder (a) 8' Consort
CHANSON ‘HELLAS ! AMOUR’ [2:12]
GUILLAUME LE HEURTEUR (FIRST HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY)
from Pierre Attaingnant's second book of Chansons musicales 1533
(This piece is marked by Attaingnant as being suitable for either recorders or flutes)
David Munrow tenor recorder (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
John Turner bass recorder (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
Alan Lumsden quart-bass recorder (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
Andrew van der Beck great-bass recorder (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
(The ‘great’ consort of recorders can also be heard on ‘The Art of the Recorder’ SLS 5022)
10. Recorder (b) 4' Consort
THE FAIRIE ROUND [1:17]
ANTHONY HOLBORNE (d. 1602)
from Pavans, Gaillards, Almains and other short aeirs 1599
John Turner soprano recorder (Bärenreiter, Kassel, W. Germany)
Alan Lumsden soprano recorder (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Andrew van der Beck alto recorder (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
James Taylor tenor recorder (Bärenreiter, Kassel, W. Germany)
Oliver Brooks bass recorder (John Cousen, Huddersfield, Yorks)
David Munrow bass courtaut (reconstruction after Mersenne by David Owen, Nantwich, Cheshire)
7 Keyboard
11. Renaissance organ
ENTRADA REAL [2:13]
PEDRO DE SOTO (LATE 16TH CENTURY)
Paul Bernard playing the organ of the church of Santa Maria, Daroca, Spain, built in 1562.
(For the smaller positive organ as a continuo instrument see S.4 B.2, 3 and 5)
12. Regal
(a) PRELUDE ‘ASCENSUS SIMPLEX‘ [0:21]
CONRAD PAUMANN (c. 1415-1473)
from the Fundamentum organisandi 1452
(b) MIN HERTZ HAT SICH SER GEFRÖWET [1:07]
ANONYMOUS 15TH CENTURY GERMAN
from the Buxheim Orgelbuch (compiled c. 1470)
Christopher Hogwood regal (instrument by the German maker Haase, dated 1684)
13. Harpsichord
TOCCATA [1:53]
GIOVANNI SALVATORE (fl. c. 1600)
from the Naples MS
Christopher Hogwood harpsichord (seventeenth century Italian single manual instrument, unknown Florentine make)
14. Virginals
VARIATIONS ON THE ROMANESCA [2:28]
ANONYMOUS 16TH CENTURY
from the Dublin Virginal Book c. 1570
Christopher Hogwood virginals (Copy by Derek Adlam, Goudhurst, Kent, of a virginals dated 1611 by Andreas Ruckers now in the Vleeshuis Museum, Antwerp. The Arpichordum stop, based on the description by Praetorius in his Syntagma Musicum Vol II, 1619, can be heard in the last two variations)
15. Xylophone
BALLO FRANCESE [0:57]
GIORGIO MAINERIO (SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY)
from Il Primo Libro di Balli 1578
David Corkhill xylophone (small diatonic instrument without resonators, maker and date unknown)
Polly Waterfield tenor viol (Dolmetsch, Haslemere, Surrey)
Jane Ryan bass viol (Dietrich Kessler, London)
Trevor Jones bass viol (Anonymous German, maker and date unknown)
Oliver Brookes violone (Wolfgang Nebel, Celle, W. Germany)
Nigel North lute (Martin Bowers, Ingatestone, Essex)
Andrew van der Beck quart-bass rackett (Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
8 Brass
1. Trumpet
(a) unmuted
TOCCATA [0:37]
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
from Orfeo 1607 played in the written key of C major (with additional part for two kettledrums)
Michael Laird natural trumpet (copy by Laird after various originals)
Malcolm Smith natural trumpet (copy by Laird after various originals)
Roger Brenner tenor sackbut (Peerless, Birmingham)
Alan Lumsden tenor sackbut (copy by Boosey & Hawkes, London, of an instrument by
Jörg Neuschel dated 1557)
Martin Nicholls bass sackbut (Besson, London)
David Corkhill kettledrums (Butler, Haymarket, London)
(b) muted
TOCCATA [0:37]
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
from Orfeo, 1607, played with mutes and sounding a tone higher in D major
Michael Laird natural trumpet (copy by Laird after various originals)
Malcolm Smith natural trumpet (copy by Laird after various originals)
Roger Brenner tenor sackbut (Peerless, Birmingham)
Alan Lumsden tenor sackbut (copy by Boosey & Hawkes, London, of an instrument by
Jörg Neuschel dated 1557)
Martin Nicholls bass sackbut (Besson, London)
2. Sackbut
(a) solo
ADAGIO and ALLEGRO [1:26]
HEINRICH BIBER (1644-1704)
from the Sonata for trombone, two violins and continuo
Alan Lumsden tenor sackbut (copy by Boosey & Hawkes, London, of an instrument by
Jörg Neuschel dated 1557)
Christopher Hogwood organ (positive organ, Noel Mander, London)
(b) consort
‘LOBT GOTT IHR CHRISTEN ALLE GLEICH’ [1:24]
MICHAEL PRAETORIUS (1571-1621)
from Musae Sionae IV
Michael Laird soprano sackbut (Finke, Herford, W. Germany)
Roger Brenner alto sackbut (Peerless, Birmingham)
Alan Lumsden tenor sackbut (copy by Boosey & Hawkes, London, of an instrument by
Jörg Neuschel dated 1557)
Martin Nicholls bass sackbut (Besson, London)
(For a sackbut in a mixed ensemble see 8.3 B.7)
(Mixed consorts of cornetts and sackbuts can be heard on ‘Two Renaissance Dance Bands’ HQS 1249
and ‘Music of Praetorius’ CSD 3761)
3. Cornett
CANZONA for ‘DUE CANTI’ [3:00]
GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643)
from the Canzoni da sonare, 1634
Michael Laird cornett (Christopher Monk, Hindhead, Surrey)
IaanWilson cornett (Christopher Monk, Hindhead, Surrey)
David Munrow tenor curtal (Steinkopf/Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Christopher Hogwood organ (positive organ, Noel Mander, London)
4. Alto and tenor cornett
BICINIUM ‘AMOUR organ’ [1:13]
PIERRE DE MANCHICOURT (c. 1510-1564)
from Georg Rhaw's Bicinia gallica et latina, 1545
Michael Laird alto cornett (Steinkopf/Moeck, Celle, W. Germany)
Alan Lumsden tenor cornett (Christopher Monk, Hindhead, Surrey)
5. Serpent
CANZONA QUARTA for ‘BASSO SOLO’ [2:15]
GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643)
from the Canzoni da sonare, 1643 (described in Il primo libro of 1628 as ‘Canzona settima detta la Superba’)
(For the purpose of this recording a shortened version
has been made
omitting a section in the middle of the canzona)
Alan Lumsden serpent (marked Forveille (c. 1820) but almost certainly of an earlier date
with keys added by Forveille)
Robert Spencer chitarrone (Hans Jordan, Markneukirchen, W. Germany)
Oliver Brookes violone (Wolfgang Nebel, Celle, W. Germany)
Christopher Hogwood organ (positive organ, Noel Mander, London)
9 Strings
6. Lute
ORLANDO SLEEPETH [1:36]
JOHN DOWLAND (1562-1626)
James Tyler lute (Donald Warnock, Cambridge, Mass.)
(For the lute in various ensembles see S.3 B.15, S.4 B.12 and 16)
7. Theorbo
A FANCY—PRAELUDE, OR VOLUNTARY [1:39]
THOMAS MACE (1613-1709?)
from Musick's Monument 1676
James Tyler theorbo (Christopher Dodderidge, based on an early 17th century Italian instrument by Matteo Sellas)
Chitarrone
(For the chitarrone used as a continuo instrument see S.4 B.5)
8. Mandora
BALLO ANGLESE [1:00]
GIORGIO MAINERIO (SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY)
from Il Primo Libro di Balli, 1578
James Tyler mandora (17th century Italian instrument, unknown maker)
Polly Waterfield violin (German 18th century)
Trevor Jones bass viol (Dietrich Kessler, London)
Nigel North bass viol (German, date and maker unknown)
Oliver Brookes violone (Wolfgang Nebel, Celle, W. Germany)
9. Cittern
GALLIARDE FOR CITTERN AND BASS [2:12]
ANTHONY HOLBORNE (d. 1602)
from The Cittharn Schoole, 1597
James Tyler cittern (Richard Margulies, New York)
Oliver Brookes violone (Dietrich Kessler, London)
10. Ceterone
TOCCATA PRIMA [1:36]
ALESSANDRO PICCININI (EARLY 17TH CENTURY)
from Intavolatura di Lauto, et di Chitarrone, 1623
James Tyler ceterone (Robert Hadaway, Gayton, Norfolk, based on an instrument by Gironimo Campi c. 1600)
11. Bandora
GALLIARD [0:45]
JOHN DOWLAND (1562-1626)
from the Braye bandora M.S., c. 1600
Robert Spencer bandora (Donald Gill, Fleet, Hants.)
12. Orpharion
DUET ‘LE ROSSIGNOL’ [1:28]
from Jane Pickering's Lute Book, 1616
James Tyler orpharion (Robert Hadaway, Gayton, Norfolk)
Robert Spencer lute (Wendelio Venere, Padua, Italy, 1584)
13. Vihuela
FANTASIA XI [2:42]
LUIS DE MILÁN (c. 1500-1562)
from El Maestro, 1536
James Tyler vihuela (probably Spanish, date and maker unknown)
(The vihuela can be heard accompanying songs by Milan and Mudarra on
‘Music for Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain‘ CSD 3738)
14. Guitar
PAVANA (VARIATIONS ON THE ROMANESCA) [1:26]
ANONYMOUS 16TH CENTURY
from the Braye Lute Book, 1536
Robert Spencer guitar (Anonymous c. 1620-50 probably Italian)
15. Viol
(a) consort
FANTASY IN FOUR PARTS [1:56]
WILLIAM BYRD (1543-1623)
(superius part reconstructed by Thurston Dart)
Catherine Mackintosh treble viol (Dietrich Kessler, London)
James Tyler tenor viol (German, date and maker unknown)
Jane Ryan bass viol (Nicholas Bertrand, Paris, 1704)
Oliver Brookes bass viol (Dietrich Kessler, London)
(b) Lyra viol
DUET ‘FORGET ME NOT’ [1:15]
THOMAS FORD (c. 1580-1648)
(superius part reconstructed by Thurston Dart)
Oliver Brookes bass viol (Dietrich Kessler, London)
James Tyler tenor viol (German, date and maker unknown)
Jane Ryan bass viol (Nicholas Bertrand, Paris, 1704)
(One side of ‘Two Renaissance Dance Bands’ HQS 1249 is devoted to music for
the typical ‘broken
consort’ of viols, recorder, lute, bandora and cittern,
many of the pieces being taken from Thomas
Morley's First Book of Consort Lessons, 1599)
Violone
(For the violone in various ensembles see S.3 B.15, S.4 B. and 8)
16. Violin
LA VOLTA [1:27]
ANONYMOUS 16TH CENTURY
Eleanor Sloan violin (Bavarian, 18th century)
Oliver Brookes viol (Dietrich Kessler, London)
James Tyler lute (Donald Warnock, Cambridge, Mass.)
(For the violin in an ensemble see S.4 B.8)
(Mixed ensembles of violins, viols and violone can be heard on
‘Two Renaissance Dance Bands&rquo; HQS 1249 and ‘Music of Praetorius’ CSD 3761)
Recording Producer: JOHN WILLAN
Recording Engineer: STUART ELTHAM
℗ 1976 EMI Records Ltd.
For further listening
INSTRUMENTS OF THE MIDDLE AGES AND RENAISSANCE
Many of the instruments heard on
these records can be heard in mixed vocal and instrumental pieces on the
other recordings by The Early Music Consort of London directed by David
Munrow:
The Art of Courtly Love — SLS 863
Volume I: Guillaume de Machaut and his Age
Volume II: Late 14th Century Avant Garde
Volume III: The Court of Burgundy
with James Bowman, Charles Brett, Martyn Hill and Geoffrey Shaw
The Art of the Recorder — SLS 5022
Recorder music from the i3th century to the present day
with the David Munrow Recorder Consort
Norma Burrowes, James Bowman, Martyn Hill, Robert Lloyd
Dufay: Mass "Se la face ay pale" — CSD 3751
Purcell: Birthday Odes for Queen Mary
Come ye Sons of Art (1694) & Love's goddess sure (1692) — ASD 3166
with Norma Burrowes, James Bowman, Charles Brett, Robert Lloyd
Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore (1652)
Motets from Musae Sioniae — CSD 3761
with Boys of the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St. Alban
Two Renaissance Dance Bands
Dances by Susato, Byrd, Dowland, Nicholson, Morley — HQS 1249
with the Morley Consort
Music for Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain — CSD 3738
with James Bowman, Martyn Hill, Geoffrey Shaw
Henry VIII and His Six Wives — CSDA 9001
Music arranged, composed and directed by David Munrow for the Anglo EMI film
Telemann: Suite in A minor
Sammartini: Concerto in F major
Handel: Concerto in B flat major — ASD 3028
David Munrow, recorder
The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields directed by Neville Marriner
Recording: London, Abbey Road Studios,
March, April, September 1973 & February 1974
Producer: John Willan
Balance engineer:: Stuart Eltham
Introduction: Mark Audus, Adélaïde de Place
Übersetzung: Gudrun Meier
Cover: Musicians from the Beatae Elisabeth Psalter, 13th century (detail).
The Art Archive / Archaeological Museum Cividale Friuli / Dagli Orti
Design: Sacha Davison Lunt
℗ 1976 The copyright in this sound
recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd.
Digital remastering ℗ 2007 EMI Records Ltd/Virgin Classics
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd/Virgin Classics
ADD
When he died in
May 1976 at the age of thirty-three, David Munrow left a recorded legacy
that, in its breadth, depth and importance, rivalled and even surpassed
that of many more senior figures. It ranged from the twelfth century to
the high baroque, encompassing instrumental and vocal works, and
including in later years the masterpieces of renaissance vocal
polyphony. Yet instrumental music was always central to Munrow, a
virtuosic player
as well as director of the Early Music Consort of
London, and a compulsive collector of musical instruments from around
the globe.
One of his final and most ambitious projects was this
recorded survey of musical instruments of the medieval and renaissance
eras, originally accompanied by a lavishly illustrated 90-page book
researched with all his typical thoroughness. The ordering of the
recording follows that of the book. In each period, the instruments are
organised according to type: woodwind, keyboard, brass and strings.
Within these sections are further subdivisions: for instance, in the
woodwind category reed instruments (open reeds such as the shawm and
'capped' reeds like the crumhorn, as well as bagpipes) are followed by
flutes (including pipes and recorder), whilst plucked strings like the
harp, lute and guitar
are treated before bowed strings like the
rebec, viol and violin. Alongside these more familiar instruments are
some less well-known ones, most notably the tromba marina (CD1:
30) which, despite its misleading name, is a long, wooden,
triangular-bodied, bowed instrument with just one or two strings. Its
distinctive sound is the result of it playing only harmonics (with the
player touching the string very lightly with fingers of the left hand),
together with a specially designed vibrating bridge which produces a
pronounced raffling sound.
Whilst some instruments are heard solo
(like the reed pipe), others are accompanied (bladder pipes) or heard
in ensemble - the latter increasingly the case in the many
renaissance
works designed for consort performance. Different examples of certain
instruments are also heard: bagpipes with a cylindrical chanter (i.e. a
straight-bored pipe) and a conical one (opening out into a bell, like a
trumpet or horn), and a metal-strung harp contrasted with a gut-strung
one. The two juxtaposed performances of the Toccata from Monteverdi's Orfeo
(CD2: 16) provide a vivid illustration of how the long trumpet mutes of
the time were inserted so far up the instrument's bell that they raised
its pitch by a whole tone.
As well as playing many original
instruments or modern copies, Munrow and his musicians do not hesitate
to make use of folk instruments from around the world in cases where he
felt that these were the closest sounding equivalent of obsolete
instruments. Thus the medieval buisine (a metallic ceremonial trumpet up
to six feet in length) is represented by a pair of traditional long
birch-bark trumpets of the sort still used by Swedish shepherds. To
illustrate the dulcimer, an Italian madrigal by Jacopo da Bologna is
performed on a traditional dulcimer from Hong Kong together with a rebec
adapted from a Yugoslav folk instrument.
Musicological purists have
tended to look rather sniffily on such liberties, and 'expert opinion'
now usually favours a purely vocal approach in many of the medieval
works Munrow treats here instrumentally. Yet what we know about the
actual performance of this music and these instruments in their own time
remains tantalisingly little (very few examples of purely instrumental
music survive from the middle ages), and Munrow was never one to allow
the actual performance of music to be inhibited by scholarly caution.
His bold approach in this ground-breaking survey, featuring a
combination of innate flair and consummate musicianship previously rare
in performances of this repertoire, justifies itself by its continued
ability to excite and communicate: such qualities never go out of
fashion. Who else would dare come up with the startling combination
(CD1: 7) of six-holed Peruvian folk pipe and Jew's harp for a monophonic
French chanson? As Munrow himself pointed out, the crucial missing
'instrument' here - the human voice - is the one against which the tonal
qualities of all the others were judged, and to which many of them
aspired. In that respect alone, Munrow's selection of music - as wide
and varied as the types of instrument demonstrated - seems still a
wholly appropriate and inspired one.
INSTRUMENTS DU MOYEN-ÂGE ET DE LA RENAISSANCE
Un vaste mouvement
de création musicale et poétique s'est développé dès le Moyen Age dans
les diverses cours européennes. Poètes-musiciens et chroniqueurs ont
souligné le rôle de la musique dans la société de l'époque. Elle fait
partie de la vie quotidienne et accompagne toutes les activités, de la
cour à la ville, et il n'est pas de manuscrit, d'enluminure, de fresque,
de tapisserie, de chapiteaux et de vitrail d'église ou de cathédrale
qui ne porte témoignage de l'importance de cet art. Lais, virelais,
pastourelles, ballades, rondeaux se multiplient, tandis que les
instruments s'affirment de plus en plus comme les égaux de la voix. Les
chansons se transforment en danses, et cornemuses, trompettes, flûtes,
chalemies, chalumeaux, rebecs, cornets, tambourins, luths et serpents
rythment les hautes et les basses danses, ces dernières réservées aux «
honnestes gens » disait Furetière. Troubadours au sud, trouvères au
nord, Minnesänger en Allemagne célèbrent avec tendresse l'amour,
mais l'un des derniers trouvères, Guillaume de Machaut, à la fois poète
et musicien, place la musique sacrée et la musique profane sur le même
plan, alors que dans les monastères, le chant devient le soutien
incontournable des offices, et que le théâtre liturgique se déploie sur
le parvis des cathédrales.
La Renaissance va s'imposer comme
l'une des périodes les plus riches dans le domaine du développement
artistique et musical. Particulièrement florissante, la musique vocale
s'exprime en France par la chanson légère et spirituelle ou par la
chanson mesurée à l'antique, en Italie par le madrigal dramatique, dans
l'Allemagne protestante par le choral, mais l'art instrumental reste
aussi particulièrement vivant, stimulé par le mouvement de
sécularisation de la musique et par le développement de l'imprimerie :
en France par exemple, Pierre Attaignant, célèbre pour
ses danceries, s'illustrera comme compositeur, luthiste et imprimeur. Des recueils pour flûte, luth,
orgue, épinette voient le jour, nous laissant souvent de précieuses
indications sur la pratique instrumentale. En Angleterre, John Dowland
s'épanche sur le luth et Byrd, musicien de la cour, dirige des consorts of violes,
en Espagne Luis Milán fait de la vihuela l'un de ses instruments
favoris, en Italie où on pratique volontiers le chitarrone ou le violon,
instrument de la danse, Frescobaldi écrit des canzone qui anticipent
sur la sonate à trois. Les cours princières se transforment en académie,
et à Mantoue, à la cour des princes de Gonzague, Claudio Monteverdi
jette avec son Orfeo
les fondements de l'opéra et n'utilisera pas moins de
quarante-deux instruments lors de la création de cet ouvrage en
1607.