Album

Daniel Taylor is a Canadian countertenor, one of a group that has come on the scene in recent years and given promise that soon the countertenor voice will be considered less an exotic specialty and more a generally cultivated voice type. Taylor, perhaps more than other countertenors active today, sounds as though he is engaging in a natural kind of voice production rather than channeling his voice into circuitous channels. His sound is quite awesomely smooth, little touched by vibrato or strong passion, restrained, extremely elegant, and modest in dimension—perfect, in short, for the Dowland songs and mostly smaller Purcell airs that make up the bulk of this two-CD compilation, drawn from a pair of earlier releases. The set contains two of the great melancholy peaks of English song: John Blow's So ceas'd the rival crew and John Dowland's long Lachrimae Antiquae (Flow my tears). Taylor's readings of these are beautifully controlled, and, even though he does not have a really authoritative presence, both build to passages of great intensity. The downsides of the collection are few. No texts are included—not a serious problem, for Taylor's articulation is crystal clear, but being able to glance over the texts and internalize them would free the listener's attention to focus on the subtleties of Taylor's singing. And of the two authentic-instrument ensembles that accompany Taylor here, the oddly named Da Sonar is more attuned to his style than the somewhat more mannered Les Voix Humaines. Nevertheless, for an introduction to the chamber sort of countertenor voice, buyers can hardly do better than this consistently gorgeous and budget-priced set.

© James Manheim, Rovi

CD 1 of 2
Henry Purcell Composer King Arthur or the British Worthy, Z.628 (semi-opera) Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
1	Fairest Isle	4:23			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Trio Sonata No.9 in C-, Z.798 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
2	Trio Sonata No.9 in C-, Z.798	8:24			$1.49
Henry Purcell Composer Oedipus, Z.583 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
3	2.Music for a while	4:08			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Sonata a4 No.3 in A-, Z.804 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
4	Sonata a4 No.3 in A-, Z.804	7:20			$1.49
Henry Purcell Composer Welcome to all the Pleasures (Ode for St. Cecilia's Day), Z.339 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
5	3.Here the deities approve	4:13			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Now That the Sun Hath Veiled His Light ('An Evening Hymn on a Ground'), Z.193 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
6	Now That the Sun Hath Veiled His Light ('An Evening Hymn on a Ground'), Z.193	4:55			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice, Z.406 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
7	O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice, Z.406	6:00			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Sonata a4 No.6 in G-, Z.807 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
8	Sonata a4 No.6 in G-, Z.807	7:35			$1.49
Henry Purcell Composer O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice, Z.406 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
9	O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice, Z.406	5:36			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Trio Sonta No.12 in D, Z.801 Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
10	Trio Sonta No.12 in D, Z.801	6:22			$0.99
John Blow Composer Ode on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell, for 2 male altos, 2 recorders, viol and continuo Work Da Sonar Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
11	So ceas'd the rival Crew when Purcell came	3:21			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
John Dowland Composer 2.Time stands still Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
1	2.Time stands still	5:05			$0.99
John Dowland Composer Lachrimae antiquae (Flow, my tears, fall from your springs; version for lute), P.15 Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
2	Lachrimae antiquae (Flow, my tears, fall from your springs; version for lute), P.15	13:16			$2.49
John Dowland Composer 5.Can she excuse my wrongs (The Earl of Essex, His Galliard) Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
3	5.Can she excuse my wrongs (The Earl of Essex, His Galliard)	4:34			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 6.Lachrimae amantis Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
4	6.Lachrimae amantis	5:44			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 1.I saw my Lady weep Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
5	1.I saw my Lady weep	6:26			$0.99
John Dowland Composer Sorrow, come!, sacred song for soprano and 4 viols Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
6	Sorrow, come!, sacred song for soprano and 4 viols	7:05			$1.49
John Dowland Composer 5.Can she excuse my wrongs (The Earl of Essex, His Galliard) Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
7	5.Can she excuse my wrongs (The Earl of Essex, His Galliard)	1:40			$0.99
Tobias Hume Composer The Lady Suffolkes Delight, for ensemble Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
8	My hope is revived	2:22			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 17.Come again, sweet love doth now invite Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
9	17.Come again, sweet love doth now invite	2:27			$0.99
Francis Cutting Composer Mrs Anne Markham's Pavan Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
10	Galliard	1:41			$0.99
John Dowland Composer Go from my window, P.64 Work Les Voix Humaines Ensemble, Daniel Taylor Countertenor
11	Go from my window, P.64	1:01			$0.99