English Renaissance Keyboard Music
- Fantasias, Pavans & Galliards
- Music by Bull, Byrd & Gibbons
Gustav Leonhardt
Philips 438 153
Contents:
- Byrd: Pavan Tregian & Galliard
- Byrd: My Lady Nevell's Ground
- Johnson: Alman
- Philips: Passamezzo Pavana & Galiarda
- Morley: Fantasia
- Bull: Duchess of Brunswick's Toy
- Bull: Duke of Brunswick's Alman
- Bull: John Lumley's Pavan & Galliard
- Bull: Fantasia
- Randall: Galliard "Can she excuse my wrongs?"
- Farnaby: A Toye
- Gibbons: Fantasia
- Tomkins: Pavan & Galliard of 3 parts
- Gibbons: Fantasia
- Farnaby: Fantasia
Playing time: 60'
Recording date: October 1992
Instruments: Harpsichord, Joel Katzman (1987); Virginal, Martin
Skowroneck (1967) - tracks 6,7
As always, Leonhardt's performances are definitive in some sense.
Although it might seem that the Philips label for this recording
would make it easy to obtain, I have not found that to be entirely
the case. Nonetheless, it is an important recording, featuring a
good representative selection of music in this style.
This music is rather singular. The depth of an entire genre
developed and produced over only a few of decades is amazing.
Unfortunately, it is equally shocking that the entire school died
out completely by the middle of the 17th century.
It was Byrd who presided over this era, and so it was he who
was the first great master of the "English Virginalist"
school of keyboard composition. He managed to establish this genre
out of almost nothing. A landmark collection of his music:
- Byrd: The Complete Keyboard Music
- Davitt Moroney
Hyperion 66551/7 (7 CDs)
Some other general surveys:
- Go From My Window
- Music for the Virginal
Colin Tilney
Dorian 90195
- The Maydenhead of Musicke
- Music for the Virginals from Parthenia & Parthenia
In-Violata
Gary Cooper
Dervorguilla 106
- English Virginals Music
- Sophie Yates
Chandos Chaconne 0574
- Musick as befitts a Quene
- English Virginal Music: 1570-1650
Edward Parmentier
Wild Boar 9102
- Byrd: Pescodd Time
- Keyboard Masterpieces of William Byrd and His Contemporaries
Bertrand Cuiller
Alpha 086
- The Queenes Command
- Masterpieces of Elizabethan Keyboard Music
Joseph Payne
Bis 539
- The Complete Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
- Pieter-Jan Belder
Brilliant Classics 95915 [CDx15]
- The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
- Byron Schenkman
Centaur 2638
Recordings devoted to individual composers, one per composer
when available, with any other possibilities listed on that page:
- Gibbons: Music for Harpsichord & Virginals
- James Johnstone
AS&V "Gaudeamus" 191
- Doctor Bull's good Night
- John Bull: Pièces pour clavier
Pierre Hantaï
Astrée 8543
- Sweelinck: Complete Keyboard Music
- Ton Koopman
Philips 468 417 (4 CDs)
- Keyboard Music by Peter Philips
- Paul Nicholson
Hyperion 66734
(The English Orpheus, Vol. 25)
- Giles Farnaby's Dream
- Pieces pour clavier
Pierre Hantaï
ADDA 581172
- Tomkins: Keyboard Music (Complete, Vol. 1)
- Bernhard Klapprott
MD+G 0563
- Scottish Keyboard Music - William Kinloche
- James Kitchen
AS&V Gaudeamus 134
There is also a substantial body of Italian keyboard music from
this era. A fine introductory collection, including pieces well
into the Baroque:
- 150 Anni di Musica Italiana
- 1550-1700, da Valente a Scarlatti
Rinaldo Alessandrini
Opus 111 30-118
A recording of this music transcribed for consort:
- The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
- Transcriptions for a mixed consort
Charivari agréable
Signum 009
Finally, a recording featuring many genres of the era (including
vocal & consort):
- Music from the Time of Elizabeth I
- Academy of Ancient Music - Christopher Hogwood
L'Oiseau Lyre 433 193
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Todd M. McComb