# Recently discovered early music master David Munrow, life changing



## clavichorder

Medieval




And Renaissance





I can't get over how cool an instrument the rackett is. Maybe I'll have to change my user name from to racketter.

Your thoughts on these videos and the great early music revivalist, David Munrow?


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## Manxfeeder

In Nashville there's a guitar with the Carter Family painted on it with the caption, "You owe us big time." Somewhere there should be an "authentic" instrument with David Munrow painted on it with the same caption.


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## clavichorder

I'm don't understand. Are you saying that he owes the recording industry something? And what isn't authentic? I don't know the Carter family well so your analogy is lost on me.

If you are trying to disillusion me and not just **** me off about David Munrow, be more direct about it. What are you talking about? What's wrong with David Munrow? How are his instruments not authentic?


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## Ukko

I have several LPs of his work. Early Music 'authorities' have expressed moderate disdain for Munrow and his musicians, citing inauthentic practice. Perhaps Munrow allowed HIP to lean toward the sensibilities of his time, when firm data was unavailable. All I will add to that is my sentiment: Good on you, Mr. Munrow.


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## Ukko

clavichorder said:


> I'm don't understand. Are you saying that he owes the recording industry something? And what isn't authentic? I don't know the Carter family well so your analogy is lost on me.
> 
> If you are trying to disillusion me and not just **** me off about David Munrow, be more direct about it. What are you talking about? What's wrong with David Munrow? How are his instruments not authentic?


Your post snuck in there while I was typing mine. I think you grossly misinterpreted _Manxfeeder_ there, possibly because you never heard of the Carter Family.


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## clavichorder

Ah, oops, I apologize for being stupidly quick to upset this time. I didn't understand the reference, or maybe I didn't read it carefully enough. I tried to offer two (mis)interpretations.

Anyway, I found this article http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&docId=9546594 by googling David Munrow and authenticity. Its just a fragment cited in this forum post http://www.davidmunrow.org/forum/index.php?topic=210.0. Is this steering me in the right direction? It seems to say what you said in more words.


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## Ukko

clavichorder said:


> Ah, oops, I apologize for being stupidly quick to upset this time. I didn't understand the reference, or maybe I didn't read it carefully enough. I tried to offer two (mis)interpretations.
> 
> Anyway, I found this article http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&docId=9546594 by googling David Munrow and authenticity. Its just a fragment cited in this forum post http://www.davidmunrow.org/forum/index.php?topic=210.0. Is this steering me in the right direction? It seems to say what you said in more words.


The article says what I said, but it says it better.

You could also look for recordings by the New York Promusica, which I much enjoy. If you investigate a little you will also come across a French group from approximately the same period, their name I will leave for you to find. They made a recording of Handel's Water Music unlike any other I have heard, in concept as well as the quality of HIPness.


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## Manxfeeder

clavichorder said:


> I'm don't understand. Are you saying that he owes the recording industry something? And what isn't authentic? I don't know the Carter family well so your analogy is lost on me.
> 
> If you are trying to disillusion me and not just **** me off about David Munrow, be more direct about it. What are you talking about? What's wrong with David Munrow? How are his instruments not authentic?


This has probably already been cleared up, but just for the record, the Country Music industry grew from the pioneering recordings of The Carter Family. This analogy seemed to fit what David Munrow did for the authentic music movement. I put quotes around "authentic" to single the word out as a description of the movement.

I was not intending by any means to be dismissive; on the contrary, it was meant as a compliment.


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## GoneBaroque

Hilltroll72 said:


> I have several LPs of his work. Early Music 'authorities' have expressed moderate disdain for Munrow and his musicians, citing inauthentic practice. Perhaps Munrow allowed HIP to lean toward the sensibilities of his time, when firm data was unavailable. All I will add to that is my sentiment: Good on you, Mr. Munrow.


I also have several LPs of David Munrow, who died too early including a boxed set which highlights a wide variety of early instruments. The set comes with a very thick and very interesting book. I regard this and his two disk set titles "The Art of the Recorder as invaluable and cannot understand why they never made the transition to CD.

I well remember what Virgil Fox had to say about the "authorities' It was priceless.

Rob


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## presto

David Munrow was the person that got into early / baroque music, I clearly remember hearing him talking and playing weird and wonderful instruments on the radio when I was a kid.
His programme Pied Piper ran on BBC radio 3 for many years, it was tragic he ended his life at such an early age, I believe he as only in his thirties.


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