Album
|
Four Temperaments: Byrd, Ferrabosco, Parsons, TallisPhantasm Ensemble, Asako Morikawa Violin (Tenor)
|
||||||
Loading, please wait...
Four Temperaments is the second disc for Avie by the splendid English viol quartet Phantasm led by expatriate American Laurence Dreyfus; the first, a disc of viol consort music by Orlando Gibbons, claimed the distinction of "Best Early Music Recording" in 2004. The follow-up under consideration is certainly no less an achievement and may well be slightly better than its predecessor. Dreyfus has devised a brilliant idea for its program; the four sixteenth century composers under consideration—William Byrd, Alfonso Ferrabosco the Elder, Robert Parsons, and Thomas Tallis—are likened to the four temperaments first described by Hippocrates—melancholic, phlegmatic, choleric, and sanguine. A well-chosen selection of consort music of these composers, mixed in with a few instrumental realizations of vocal pieces, are sequenced in an alternating manner that lends credence to the notion that the relative "humours" of the four provide the key to their individual and characteristic voices, at least in comparison to one another.
However arcane and theoretical that might sound, in the notes Dreyfus comments that "the point of a performance isn't to replicate historical circumstances but to penetrate music's beauties and convey its sense," and that's exactly what Phantasm achieves here. By virtue of their arrangement, the 22 selections here do not seem like an odd collection of works related through their historical period or instrumentation, but as parts of a whole—there is an uncanny sense of continuous flow from one piece to the next. Four Temperaments is a disc that one will want to put in and play, perhaps even in repeat mode as it sense of continuity is so refined there isn't a sense of a clear beginning or conclusion. Careful attention paid to the tracklisting will aid the listener in determining whether the composer on a given, usually very short, track happens to be Byrd, Ferrabosco, Parsons, or Tallis, but one needn't be beholden to it. As a listening experience, Four Temperaments is very complete even without the notes or tracklisting. Phantasm's playing is faultless, deeply considered, rich in texture, and emotionally moving, and the recording, made at St. Mary's Church at South Creake in Norfolk, is warm, direct, and multi-dimension. In terms of a high-quality and highly enjoyable recital of sixteenth century viol music, one could not hope for better than what is delivered in Phantasm's Four Temperaments.
© Uncle Dave Lewis , All Music Guide
Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
| CD 1 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas Tallis ComposerA solfaing song (a5) Work |
||||||
| 1 | A solfaing song (a5) | 2:24 |
 |
 |
$0.99 |
 |
William Byrd ComposerPrelude and Ground 'Queen's Goodnight' Work |
||||||
| 2 | Prelude and Ground 'Queen's Goodnight' | 5:29 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
|
|
||||||
| 3 | Mr Parsons His Songe or the Songe Called trumpet for 6 viols | 1:42 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Thomas Tallis ComposerIn Nomine (ii) (a4) Work |
||||||
| 4 | In Nomine (ii) (a4) | 1:50 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Robert Parsons ComposerIn Nomine for 5 viols Work |
||||||
| 5 | In Nomine for 5 viols | 1:47 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Robert Parsons ComposerDe la Court Work |
||||||
| 6 | De la Court | 5:14 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Alfonso (i) Ferrabosco ComposerPavane No.4 Work |
||||||
| 7 | Pavane No.4 | 2:05 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
|
|
||||||
| 8 | 1.Kyrie | 2:34 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Alfonso (i) Ferrabosco ComposerIn Nomine a5, No.2 Work |
||||||
| 9 | In Nomine a5, No.2 | 2:28 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
|
|
||||||
| 10 | 2.Gloria | 5:35 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Thomas Tallis ComposerIn Nomine (i) (a4) Work |
||||||
| 11 | In Nomine (i) (a4) | 2:13 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
|
|
||||||
| 12 | 3.Credo | 8:18 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Alfonso (i) Ferrabosco ComposerIn Nomine a5, No.1 Work |
||||||
| 13 | In Nomine a5, No.1 | 2:44 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
|
|
||||||
| 14 | 4.Sanctus | 3:49 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Alfonso (i) Ferrabosco ComposerIn Nomine a5 Work |
||||||
| 15 | In Nomine a5 | 2:26 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
|
|
||||||
| 16 | 6.Agnus Dei | 4:16 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Robert Parsons ComposerUt Re Mi Fa Sol for 4 viols Work |
||||||
| 17 | Ut Re Mi Fa Sol for 4 viols | 4:57 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Alfonso (i) Ferrabosco ComposerFantasia a4 Work |
||||||
| 18 | Fantasia a4 | 3:26 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
William Byrd ComposerPavan and Galliard a6 in C, MB75 Work
3:46
|
||||||
| 19 | 1.Pavan | 2:17 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
| 20 | 2.Galliard | 1:29 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Robert Parsons ComposerThe song called trumpets a 6 Work |
||||||
| 21 | The song called trumpets a 6 | 2:03 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
Alfonso (i) Ferrabosco ComposerFantasia a6: Sur la Rousée Work |
||||||
| 22 | Fantasia a6: Sur la Rousée | 2:51 |
|
|
$0.99 |
|
