# Your favorite pre-Baroque piece?



## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Let's hear it for early music! Recommend works from early Baroque or before. (As always, if you can also recommend a good recording, I'd appreciate it.)


----------



## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

nefigah said:


> Let's hear it for early music! Recommend works from early Baroque or before. (As always, if you can also recommend a good recording, I'd appreciate it.)


Baroque was 1600-1750 and the period prior to that was Rennaisance from circa 1400-1600.

The greatest composers in the Rennaisance period were Palestrina, Josquin Des Prez, Lassus, Tallis, Dufay, Dowland, Gabrieli, Gesualdo, Dunstable, Gibbons, Taverner (among the main ones).

There are lots of excellent works, eg:Palestrina: _Missa Papae Marcell__i_

Tallis: _Spem in alium_

Josquin: _Missa Pange lingua_

Gabrieli: _Magnificat_

Dowland: _Lachrimae_ (collection of lute songs)

Gibbons: _Consort music_ (for viols)

Dufay: _Alma redemptoris mater_

Gesualdo: _Sacred madrigals
_​If you're going to start from scratch then Palestrina's _Missa Papae Marcell__i _is as good a place as anywhere. Mine is:_










_If you're not interested in masses then give this and similar works a miss, but you will severely limit your choice. I like masses, especially this one which is divine.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

My favorite pre-baroque piece is actually a song, "Can she excuse my wrongs?" by John Dowland. I think this is also known as the Earl of Essex Galliard when no words are sung, but I get his various galliards mixed up.

I do not like Sting's rendition of this song I'm afraid. It's way too fast.

I used to love a show on National Public Radio called _Micrologus_. It introduced me to a great many pre-baroque pieces, mostly by the ever prolific Anonymous. I wonder whatever happened to that show.


----------



## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

You (nefigah) talk like pre-baroque pieces would be some extremely rare historical treasures. Repertoire of rennaisance is very wide and your proposition to talk about "favourite pieces" suggests that you consider this period not rich enough to talk about it just like we talk about romantic or classical music - in the most broad ways.


----------



## andruini (Apr 14, 2009)

My favorites are definitely some of the motets of Tallis, of which I recommend this recording first and foremost:









It has some of my favorites, like Spem in Alium, the two Salvator Mundi settings, and the great Pentecost motet Loquebantur variis linguis.

I also really love the Byrd masses for 4 and 5 voices. This recording is awesome:









And in the secular field, I really adore this one:


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I'm quite fond of "early" music. Among my favorites I would count:

Hildegard von Bingen:










Perotin:










Lassus:










Gesualdo:










Plainchant:


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

And per my special fondness for Andalusia or Islamic Spain:




























Beyond this others have already mentioned Byrd, Palestrina, Dufay, DesPrez, etc...

Now if Monetverdi counts... certainly I'd place this one near the top of my recommendations:


----------



## andruini (Apr 14, 2009)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Now if Monetverdi counts... certainly I'd place this one near the top of my recommendations:


Bah, of course he counts.. (I just wanted an excuse to express my love of his music )
Btw, you had a bit of a Perotin/Lassus switcheroo there.
Anyway those are all great picks! The Perotin disc is quite great!


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Dowland: Lachrymae


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Bah, of course he counts.. 

He (Monteverdi) seems to be a transitional figure... Renaissance into Baroque... but certainly any excuse to recommend him is good enough for me.

Btw, you had a bit of a Perotin/Lassus switcheroo there.

Fixed... thanks.


----------



## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Oo! Thanks, all, for the recommendations. Certainly some of the composers' names were familiar to me, but my meager music collection is devoid of their works. 

Oh, and Aramis, I meant no offense, I'm just interested in peoples' favorites (with the ulterior motive of seeking recommendations on recordings). I could see myself asking the same of any other period, or indeed about a particular composer (and I have done so in the past). People can speak as broadly as they wish


----------



## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

Monteverdi is definitely worth investigating. I overlooked him because he is normally regarded as a baroque composer. Indeed, one if his claims to fame being is that he was a major early pioneer of the emerging form. It is fair to note, however, that his early masterpieces, the _Books of Madrigal_s, are a mixture of late Renaissance style but changing into a clear baroque form (from Book 5 onwards). Beyond that point in his career all of his works are baroque, and there are some excellent examples (Orfeo, Vespers, Poppea).


----------

