# best composers of renaissance (instrumental music)



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

Ok since i heard the bonus instrumental track on Gesualdo madrigal2 book 2 it trigger some interest to investigate more of this time period that i mostly know trought vocal music but what about instrumental music back than?


You guys on TC know more instrumental classical music of this era than me?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

The BIS "_La Spagna_" CD, another "_La Spagna_" CD from the Licanus label with Carles Magranter/Capella Ministeres, as well as _Dowland´s lute works _ played by Paul O´dette would be among my first choices.

I don´t have sufficient detailed knowledge as regards the keyboard music, but _The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book composers _and _Frescobaldi _are some obvious options. I don´t get _William Lawes_.

I´m not quite sure in which era to place _Bellerofonte Castaldi_, but a "Capriccios" CD by the LauttenCompagney on the New Classical Adventure label is also very attractive.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

John Dowland
Josquin Desprez
Claudio Monteverdi
William Byrd


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

Thomas Tallis and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

deprofundis said:


> Ok since i heard the bonus instrumental track on Gesualdo madrigal2 book 2 it trigger some interest to investigate more of this time period that i mostly know trought vocal music but what about instrumental music back than?
> 
> You guys on TC know more instrumental classical music of this era than me?


Gesualdo's court was a musical place. You may enjoy hearing some Trabaci. I suggest the recording by Lydia Maria Blank. And you may enjoy hearing Ascanio Mayone - there's an outstanding recording by Christopher Stembridge.

I also enthusiastically recommend the recording by Mara Galassi called La Viaggio di Lucrezza.

And Paola Erdas - a fabulous musician - has a recording of music from Gesualdo's court, but I forget the name.

Moving away from Gesualdo, the big big name in Italy is Frescobaldi. And the big big name in France is Titelouze. And the big big name in Germany is Arnolt Schlick. And the big big name in England is Christopher Tye. And the big big name in Spain is Cabazön. And the biggest name of the lot is Sweelinck. If you want me to think of some things to listen to, then let me know.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Actually, when I read through the above I could see how daunting it may be. Sorry.

(That picture shouldn't be there)


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

Claude Gervaise wrote/arranged some great music from that time. I especially love it arranged for a brass ensemble.

Try this album:









My favorite recordings are actually from "Virtuosi: Baroque Music" by Czech Brass Ensemble, but I had to import that CD... It's not easy to get at all.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

deprofundis said:


> You guys on TC know more instrumental classical music of this era than me?


Perhaps. Look into the english virginal and consort composers.

For virginalists(composers for the harpsichord of the time and region, known as a 'virginal'), *William Byrd* and *John Bull*(Bull's music I like to describe as having the Lisztian virtuosity of the times) are tops, followed by Orlando Gibbons, Peter Phillips, Thomas Tomkins, Giles Farnaby, and some more obscure names. Search for recordings of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book for the classic collection of a myriad of such composers.

Sweelinck is a sort of isolated Dutch counterpart of theirs, writing for organ and harpsichord.

And now, onto the viol consort(played on bowed instruments of the time called viols) music, William Byrd again of course, and *Orlando Gibbons* as the classic composers of this school. But also, the later composer *William Lawes* wrote marvelous music for viol consort.

John Dowland has been mentioned also as a composer of instrumental music, and the instrument he wrote for was the lute, of which he was the leading composer of his time and region. There are some other names.

These are all late renaissance names. For a composer from the early and mid 16th century in another part of Europe, try the Spanish composer *Antonio de Cabezon*. He wrote very much keyboard music that can be played on clavichord, harpsichord, or organ.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

clavichorder said:


> Perhaps. Look into the english virginal and consort composers.
> 
> For virginalists(composers for the harpsichord of the time and region, known as a 'virginal'), *William Byrd* and *John Bull*(Bull's music I like to describe as having the Lisztian virtuosity of the times) are tops, followed by Orlando Gibbons, Peter Phillips, Thomas Tomkins, Giles Farnaby, and some more obscure names. Search for recordings of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book for the classic collection of a myriad of such composers.
> 
> ...


I think it's not quite right to describe Sweelinck as "a sort of isolated Dutch counterpart" of English viginalists. He's often represented as a key figure leading to JS Bach. The route goes Byrd ---> Sweelinck ---> Scheidemann, Scheidt ---> Buxtehude ---> Bach. But I don't think he's only important because Bach is important. I think he's probably a greater composer than Byrd, Sweelinck's fantasias are as even more impressive than Byrd's, even if Byrd invented the form. Having said that, I find Byrd's music perfectly enjoyable - though I don't enjoy Farnaby's or Gibbons's any less.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Mandryka said:


> I think it's not quite right to describe Sweelinck as "a sort of isolated Dutch counterpart" of English viginalists. He's often represented as a key figure leading to JS Bach. The route goes Byrd ---> Sweelinck ---> Scheidemann, Scheidt ---> Buxtehude ---> Bach. I think he's probably a greater composer than Byrd, I don't think Byrd's fantasias are as impressive as the best of Sweelinck's. Having said that, I find Byrd's music perfectly enjoyable - though I don't enjoy Farnaby's or Gibbons's any less.


Well, I can't think of any contemporaries of Sweelinck that sound like him and lived and worked near him, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I meant isolated in that sense though, not meaning to discredit the fact that he was a foundation for later composers.

I find Sweelinck a little dull and formulaic by comparison to Byrd, but to each his own. Byrd's work is very polished and has an unpredictable asymmetry to it that Gibbons kind of lacks, and that Farnaby doesn't seem as informed on. Gibbons is a very great composer, but he keyboard works seem more limited in scope than Byrd's, on the whole.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

clavichorder said:


> I find Sweelinck a little dull and formulaic by comparison to Byrd, but to each his own.


I'll tell you the piece by Sweelinck that impressed me so much, it's the A minor ricercar, this one






(It's Koopman there, playful but I prefer Bert Matter.) I've got Wilson's CD of Byrd Fantasias, and Moroney of course, but they don't impress me as much as this Sweelinck for sheer enormity, epicness.


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## Biwa (Aug 3, 2015)

You might want to check out some of Jordi Savall's recordings on the Alia Vox label.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jordi-savall-mn0000676650/biography

These recordings usually have a strong emphasis on instrumental arrangements with attractive rhythms. His ensembles use a unique assortment of percussion, strings and other instruments.

You can see many of his performances on YouTube...




Some possible albums to test the waters:
"La Folia" 
"Ministriles Reales"
"Estampies & Danses Royales"


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