# Hunting for some medieval and very early renaissance music



## Menestrel (Dec 5, 2012)

Hello everyone,
I've been listening to classical music for years but I recently discovered the beauty of medieval music! I'm currently looking for the names of groups that make joyful medieval music (vocal or instrumental) but I don't know anything about different groups that are out there. I mainly seek authenticity (perhaps new compositions are OK buy only the use of instruments that existed back then) and beauty. Any recommendations? Advice? It shouldn't be too obscure as to be impossible to find, ideally I'd like to order a couple of CDs from Amazon.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

The *ensemble Estampie* represents an often attractive cross-over rendition of medieval music:





The *Cantigas de Santa Maria* from the court of Alfonso X in Northern Spain form a very fascinating and large collection of texts and music. There is a wealth of recordings now, displaying very different kinds of performance style, both hard-core historical reconstruction and those adjusted to a more contemporary taste

Some examples are








Sequentia 




I somehow like an old double-LP by the Studio der Frühe Musik ensemble dedicated to the *Troubadours and Trouveres*, on Teldec. Some of it is now on you-t









Another classic is the 4CD set by the Clemencic ensemble of the original *Carmina Burana* manuscripts, 



 The performance style is sometimes very different from current taste, though. Another album of theirs is this 




This seems a very nice album with music by *Gilles Binchois*: 




*EDIT*: please notice new additions


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Type 'medieval music' into Amazon and select 'music classical' from the drop down suggestions. Up come discs from the Hillard Ensemble, Oxford Camerata and so on. 
I have a few of the collections discs that come up - "Come Away Sweet Love" is a collection of music from the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I; "Making Merrye" is a collection played on pipes, shawn, dulcimer, tabor, lute, gittern and hurdy-gurdy; "Medieval Christmas" is performed by Pro Cantione Antiqua and the English Wind Ensemble. Personally I find these collections a useful introduction to this kind of music. Hope this helps and happy listening!


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Just thought - another good one is 'Carmina Burana' (not the Orff piece) on the Naxos label performed by Ensemble Unicorn, Ensemble Oni Wystars, etc.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

The MIRA early music ensemble performs a lot of early vocal music (mostly 1400s to 1600s). They're kind of a small group but pretty talented. I saw them live recently performing William Byrd's Mass for 4 voices, it was an amazing performance! Here's a link to their website, they have a few CDs out but you might need to e-mail them to purchase since I couldnt find them on Amazon:

http://www.miraearlymusic.org/


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## Menestrel (Dec 5, 2012)

Thank you all! Any more suggestions this time of instrumental music only perhaps? Something that will fill my heart with joy and make me feel like I am a King giving a banquet in his castle when I am really warming something up for my girlfriend using a microwave?


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## Menestrel (Dec 5, 2012)

So, I guess no one wants me to feel like a King?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

To my knowledge, purely instrumental albums with music from medieval and early-renaissance / pre-1500 music are rare. The old BIS-label "La Spagna" by Atrium Musicae de Madrid is a gem, though:










Gregorio Paniagua´s "La Follia" on Harmonia Mundi is also a well-known, classic release:


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