Early Music: RFI

Have been on a medieval music listening jag since last thursday due to an email exchange with this ILX user^^^

New favorite 14th century music CD: Ensemble P.A.N.'s Unseen Rain on New Albion.

Also finally heard that Huelgas Ensemble/Brumel album Milton raves about way upthread and... it is amazing.

i know! it was so weird!
friday: learned what a codex is
saturday: found 4-LP chansonnier cordiforme set with an elaborate booklet and everything!

For just 400 bucks you can own a facsimile of the Chantilly Codex! (The heart-shaped piece shown here is 'Belle, Bonne, Sage'):

http://www.omifacsimiles.com/brochures/chantilly.html

Is that the same as the one owned/commissioned by Jean de Montchenu? The whole thing is heart shaped!

I don't think it's the same one. Mebbe the entirely heart-shaped one was the original place for Belle, Bonne, Sage, which Wiki says was added to the Chantilly Codex at a later date than the rest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantilly_Codex

New favorite 14th century music CD: Ensemble P.A.N.'s Unseen Rain on New Albion.

Oh snap, the dangers of Spotify listening. Turns out this is new music composed by Robert Kyr for Ensemble P.A.N. in the style of the 14th century. Punk'd! What can I say, my ears were fooled and the results are totally amazing IMO.

I'm finally almost done listening to that Chansonniere set -- the 4th song on the 5th side has a line in which the melody is almost identical to a tiny part of the Romeo and Juliet theme from the 1968 movie, which I remember seeing in 9th grade English class and wondering what the song was. That was kind of weird. Not really worth mentioning, but there it is.

Also - assuming that my searching isn't faulty in some way -- there seems to be no mention of Jantina Noorman on ilx?! Is this possible?!

If so, JANTINA NOORMAN. Let's talk about her and her marvelous voice. Apparently Michael Morrow (from Musica Reservata) asked her to sing like the instruments and did she ever.

Here is a piece of folk journalism about her: http://www.folkworld.de/31/e/dutch.html (worth a read if you enjoy the idea of someone going on a pilgrimage to talk to a singer whose voice he (?) loved)
Here is a picture of her first album of Dutch folk songs (and her last, I think) for Folkways, which she recorded on a whim when her family moved to the USA (which I happened to have and didn't realize it was the same lady and then when I realized...magical moment)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8364998012_cb295dc89e_c.jpg

This is a good example of what she sounded like when she sang like a crumhorn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRUkWm1jcSU

And that is pretty much all I can find about her. Is there more?

+1 Noorman fan club

She also sings several tracks on the Jaye Consort's A Bawdy Elizabethan Evening album-- of which the track 'Carters, Now Cast Down Your Whips' is esp amazing.

^this is on spotify

I have been wondering if Dagmar Krause was aware of Noorman's singing. There's a strong resemblance there to my ear.

You should make an all-Jantina playlist on spotify and then the pep club (me) can force everyone to listen to it.

Chantilly Codex -- A medieval music thread

Ah, ^ my Chantilly thread, didn't realise there was discussion here.

Familiar w/Ensemble P.A.N.

Ita madrigals is gd too

Can you anyone tell me of any good recordings for early Russian music plz? The bits I've heard always strike me as different in tone to other types of choral music maybe?

the father of a friend of mine runs this label (and apparently still does really well out of it !!) :

http://www.saydisc.com/

some mad stuff from way way back ..

no idea if any of this is of interest ..

What an interestingly diverse label! Color me intrigued by:

http://www.wyastone.co.uk/forest-talk-an-evening-of-songs-poetry-and-humour-from-the-forest-of-dean.html

As per request, I give you 27 Spotify minutes of JANTINA NOORMAN:

http://open.spotify.com/user/1213493496/playlist/6Jsm5qS1iUx0alKiOxviPL

Only 20 more years until DeRayMi can retire!

Oooh I'll take this one! http://www.wyastone.co.uk/gloucestershire-wildlife-tapestry-a-web-of-day-night-sounds.html

And three cheers for 27 minutes of Jantina and her rustic holler!!!

^ wildlife tapestry is on Spotify, to my amazement!

Wld make good double header with Sublime Frequencies Night Sounds of Bali

And also Sonic Seasonings!

Another Early music group that cam onto my radar is Sequentia. Note they've just completed the rec of Hildegard von Bingen oeuvre, begun 30 years ago! Heard of them in this article by Kevin Volans. Its Interesting that they started around the time the Early Music Revival was in full swing. Punk wasn't the only thing happening in the late 70s!

The wiki for Early Music indicates this includes Baroque as well but we're all stopping around the Renaissance, or even earlier, so Musica Antiqua Köln have been excluded. I guess we think of Bach as its own thing, but it would be good to get any views on this.

This all touches on another area -- one I've not been able to pursue -- of Historicall informed Performance xps

I have always wanted to hear Sequentia's speculative renditions of ancient Norse music.

By the way, this early music FAQ, run by a dude named Todd McComb, is the fucking BOMB:

http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/site.html

Wow Gloucestershire Woodlands are really bustling even in winter!

I'm really loving the character who enters at about 2:45 into 'Night: Spring'--

http://open.spotify.com/track/4HKMxNBFtsRNIUdK4sVzl8

i should probably take it to some nature sounds thread but omg i love this
i guess nature sounds are the real early music?!

Not on spotify ah well..

Thanks for the FAQ, will have a look.

the earliest music

xpost

I love this, but has anyone got any purely instrumental recommendations? Thanks lots.

what do you like so far?

I'm listening to English Country Dances by The Broadside Band at this very moment. I enjoy stuff like that. Listened to lots of lute music earlier...specifically Early Venetian Lute Music.

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Venetian-Music-Ambrosio-Dalza/dp/B00004GLLX

Here are two CDs for cheap of stompin' squawkin' renaissance dances by Munrow and company:

http://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Dances-Tylman-Susato/dp/B000CEBOQ8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1359065968&sr=8-5&keywords=david+munrow

Here's an interesting CD of Ars Subtilior vocal music performed instrumentally by germany's spirited Ensemble Unicorn:

http://www.amazon.com/Codex-Faenza-Instrumental-Music-Century/dp/B000009OM1/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359066109&sr=1-1&keywords=codex+faenza

People don't talk about this enough in cool music circles, but Jordi Savall just might be the most reliable name in early music. Hesperion XXI can even bring dusty old 18C French overtures to life.

Plus this one is a mystical EM ur-recording: http://www.amazon.com/El-Cant-Montserrat-Figueras/dp/B004DY5B1M/

Current 93 used to play it before going on stage - talk about fostering expectations!

That Codex Faenza looks like another top Naxos goody!

Thanks for the recommendations!

I've learned so far that I can't go wrong with anything called estampie, saltarello, or anything that's labeled as "dance music". This is my kind of dance music, apparently? One of them, at least.

Love those lutes...

hahaha i was just thinking yesterday while listening to something "LL should add estampie and istampitta to her list of 'always win' EM genres."

Does estampie actually mean 'stamping dance' or somesuch?

I have been super remiss in paying attention to Savall/Figueras. I only have Savall's Brandenburg Cto set (which is awesome).

OH yeah the stompy/plodding/swirly drummy songs are totally the ones I love the most. For a while I listened to La Quinte Estampie Royal almost every day! So much that I can spell it from memory and actually remember the name of it -- that's a sign that a song has truly made it! Ideal song has persistent drumming (speed may vary), something droning, and another element dancing around on top of those two things.

Two Renaissance Dance Bands is the one I'd recommend, I think, but I can't remember offhand if there is singing in there or not. Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy some singing here and there.

I think Two Renaissance Dance Bands might be indcluded on that budget 2cd i linked... but I'm not positive.

That lute disc is really doing it for me right now.

Have you tried out some John Dowland? He's kind of thee lute dude.

Ooh, those renaissance dances are nice.

Came across this one the other day. Listened a few times already. Spectacular for the the lute heads: http://www.amazon.com/Lute-Music-Witches-Alchemists-Kirchhof/dp/B00004S38O/ref=pd_sim_m_2

tell me you were searching for witches and/or alchemy when that popped up ;)

Wow that is one peculiar release. How can I not check that out.

“ That is truly within the realm of Herr/Herra Parent to educate the child that there is quite a universe of music that is out there. ”

T. Smith | 2 reviewers made a similar statement

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Herra Parent say hi to me

The reason I call this 'My Precious', is that I had lost a lot in Hurricane Katrina, including my music library, which i am still slowly rebuilding, thank the Goddess!!

I owned this CD when it became released, and found it to be a collection of music that is most suited for comtemplative study, note-taking, journalling, writing memoirs with tea/coffee/mead/or aperitif. For me, it is also good music to use when busy scripting in my book-of-shadows, or rhyming wordings to be used later for some good works, by tensor light if not by candle.

As one who has self-taught guitar and medieval instruments, i appreciate the talent behind, and the hard work to play this collection.

I will place this among my 'workings' collection, once i receive it ... although not quick enough!

oops i meant to italic the first para as well

oooooooooohhhhhhhhh god MY PRECIOUS

That mead is a must.