Album

Discover Early Music is part of a series covering the history of Western classical music, from medieval times to the present day; each volume contains two CDs and a booklet of about 100 pages, mostly given over to a historical essay keyed to the selections included. One may wonder, when looking at these discs, why no one has done this before, especially in view of book publishers' inability to come up with a good single-volume history with any kind of readability and flair. The reason is that it would be difficult for any label other than Naxos, the plucky Hong Kong-based outfit that has gleefully proved all the doubters wrong by expanding while everyone else was contracting, to pull it off; only Naxos has the vast and varied catalog to make a full-fledged survey of especially the early periods possible. One effect of this project's origins on Naxos is that the medieval period is somewhat underrepresented; we get only eight pieces on the first CD to cover the entire period from Gregorian chant to the era of Dufay and Dunstable in the middle of the fifteenth century. In the early sections of the booklet essay by British editor and writer Lucien Jenkins, one can get through quite a few paragraphs without coming to any music. If there's a hole in the Naxos catalog, it's in the early medieval era, which is usually taken on by specialist ensembles that don't line up with Naxos' cost-cutting aesthetic. But that disadvantage is far outweighed by the generally solid execution of the whole project. One can quibble with Jenkins' text at isolated moments, but overall it is a clear, well-informed introduction. If there's one reason for the public's comparative lack of interest in the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance as compared with the art of the era, it is that appreciating the technique of a Josquin or a Machaut, as opposed to a Michelangelo or Giotto, depends on an awareness of technical processes that are not directly visible. In dealing with more complex forms, Jenkins excels. He lays out just enough information to make the general listener aware of the kinds of things that are happening without going into intimidating detail. The performances vary, but the Naxos predilection for recording regional ensembles actually works to the project's advantage; nothing sounds strange when juxtaposed with its neighbor on the disc. This album should be ideally suited to the needs of adult-enrichment classes, tourists, and anyone else interested in an introduction to the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance that can be covered in a few evenings. One caveat: the term early music is sometimes understood to include part of the Baroque era, but this album cuts off with Palestrina, at the end of the sixteenth century.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Chant, Ambrosian Composer Antiphonae post Evangelium Work Alberto Turco Conductor, In Dulci Jubilo Children's Choir Chorus/Choir
1	Antiphonae post Evangelium	3:21			$0.99
Gregorian Chant Composer Adorabo, alleluia Work Alberto Turco Conductor, Nova Schola Gregoriana Ensemble
2	Adorabo, alleluia	2:21			$0.99
Hildegard von Bingen Composer Ordo Virtutum (liturgical drama) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
3	Procession	4:25			$0.99
Anonymous, 11th century French Polyphony Composer Viderunt omnes, 2 part organum (attrib. to Leonin) Work 9:30 Tonus Peregrinus Ensemble, Antony Pitts Conductor
4	Viderunt omnes... (2-part organum)	2:09			$0.99
5	...fines terre salutare dei nostri jubilate deo omnis terra (plainchant)	0:53			$0.99
6	Notum fecit...(2-part organum)	0:44			$0.99
7	...Dominus...	1:34			$0.99
8	...salutare suum ante conspectum gentium revelavit...	3:43			$0.99
9	...justitiam suam (plainchant)	0:27			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Gaudete Christus est natus (Piae Cantiones 1582) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
10	Gaudete Christus est natus (Piae Cantiones 1582)	1:39			$0.99
Alfonso X (el Sabio) Composer Work(s) Work Ensemble Unicorn Ensemble, Michael Posch Conductor
11	[Unspecified] Cantiga de Santa Maria	2:20			$0.99
Anonymous, Carmina Burana Composer Exiit dilucolo rustica puella, CB 90 Work Ensemble Oni Wytars Ensemble, Ensemble Unicorn Ensemble
12	Exiit dilucolo rustica puella, CB 90	2:47			$0.99
Guiraut Riquier Composer Humils, forfaitz, repres e penedens Work Ensemble Unicorn Ensemble, Michael Posch Conductor
13	Humils, forfaitz, repres e penedens	7:01			$1.49
Guillaume Dufay Composer Adieu ces bons vins de Lannoys (rondeau, a3) Work Bernhard Landauer Countertenor, Ensemble Unicorn Ensemble, Michael Posch Conductor
14	Adieu ces bons vins de Lannoys (rondeau, a3)	5:32			$0.99
Francesco Landini Composer Non avrà mai pietà, S.144 (ballata a3) Work 7:54 Ensemble Unicorn Ensemble, Michael Posch Conductor
15	#1	4:19			$0.99
16	#2	3:35			$0.99
John Dunstable Composer Veni Sancte Spiritus (isorhythmic motet, a4) Work Tonus Peregrinus Ensemble, Antony Pitts Conductor
17	Veni Sancte Spiritus (isorhythmic motet, a4)	6:55			$0.99
Johannes Ockeghem Composer D'un aultre amer (a3) Work Capilla Flamenca Chorus/Choir
18	D'un aultre amer (a3)	3:01			$0.99
Antoine Busnois Composer Alleluia, Verbum caro factum est (a4) Work Capilla Flamenca Chorus/Choir
19	Alleluia, Verbum caro factum est (a4)	1:18			$0.99
Josquin Des Prez Composer El Grillo (a4) Work Shirley Rumsey Lute
20	El grillo (arr. lute)	1:30			$0.99
Josquin Des Prez Composer El Grillo (a4) Work Capilla Flamenca Chorus/Choir
21	El Grillo (a4)	1:30			$0.99
Josquin Des Prez Composer Missa La Sol Fa Re Mi (a4) Work Capilla Flamenca Chorus/Choir
22	1.Kyrie	2:10			$0.99
Clément Janequin Composer Réveillez vous, cueurs endormis (a5; 'Le chant des oiseaux') Work Scholars of London Ensemble
23	Réveillez vous, cueurs endormis (a5; 'Le chant des oiseaux')	3:12			$0.99
Tielman Susato Composer Passe et medio; Gaillarde No.1 Work Capilla Flamenca Chorus/Choir
24	Passe et medio; Gaillarde No.1	3:02			$0.99
Tielman Susato Composer Ronde No.3, Ronde No.6; Les quatres branles Work Convivium Musicum Gothenburgense Ensemble
25	Ronde No.3, Ronde No.6; Les quatres branles	2:53			$0.99
Tielman Susato Composer Gaillardes Nos. 1-3 Work Convivium Musicum Gothenburgense Ensemble
26	Gaillardes Nos. 1-3	2:05			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
John Taverner Composer In Nomine Work Rose Consort of Viols Ensemble
1	In Nomine	2:24			$0.99
Christopher Tye Composer In Nomine a 5 ("Crye") Work Rose Consort of Viols Ensemble
2	In Nomine a 5 ("Crye")	1:51			$0.99
Thomas Tallis Composer Spem in alium (a40) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
3	Spem in alium (a40)	12:13			$1.99
William Byrd Composer Mass for 4 Voices Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
4	4.Sanctus. 5.Benedictus	4:33			$0.99
Claude Goudimel Composer Psalm 130: Du fond de ma pensée Work Ensemble Claude Goudimel Chorus/Choir, Christine Morel Conductor
5	Psalm 130: Du fond de ma pensée	4:40			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 11.The King of Denmark's Galliard Work Rose Consort of Viols Ensemble
6	11.The King of Denmark's Galliard	1:20			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 2.Flow my tears Work Steven Richards Countertenor, Dorothy Linell Lute
7	2.Flow my tears	4:01			$0.99
Heinrich Isaac Composer Greiner, Zancker, Schnöpffitzer (a4) Work Ensemble Villanella Ensemble, Sven Berger Conductor
8	Greiner, Zancker, Schnöpffitzer (a4)	1:09			$0.99
Jacob Obrecht Composer Stat ein meskin (a4; also attrib. Isaac) Work Ensemble Villanella Ensemble, Sven Berger Conductor
9	Stat ein meskin (a4; also attrib. Isaac)	2:06			$0.99
Alonso de Mudarra Composer Work(s) Work Shirley Rumsey Lute
10	[Unspecified] Tiento for vihuela	1:46			$0.99
Carlo Gesualdo Composer Tribulationem et dolorem inveni, W8.57 (a5) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
11	Tribulationem et dolorem inveni, W8.57 (a5)	4:54			$0.99
Orlande de Lassus Composer Lagrime di S Pietro ('Tansillo'; a7) Work Ars Nova Ensemble Ensemble, Bo Holten Conductor
12	1.Il magnanimo Pietro	2:18			$0.99
Orlande de Lassus Composer Missa Susanne un jour (a5) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
13	1.Kyrie	5:41			$0.99
Orlande de Lassus Composer Beau le crystal, chanson for 4 voices, B. xi/57 (S. xii/94) Work Scholars of London Ensemble
14	Beau le crystal, chanson for 4 voices, B. xi/57 (S. xii/94)	1:37			$0.99
Tomás Luis de Victoria Composer O magnum mysterium (a4) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
15	O magnum mysterium (a4)	4:14			$0.99
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Composer Missa Papae Marcelli (a6) Work Oxford Camerata Chamber Ensemble, Jeremy Summerly Conductor
16	1.Kyrie	4:38			$0.99