EarlyMusicNews.Org

"We are a vocal group devoted to early music with a wide repertoire especially centred in Renaissance polyphony. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 451

"Ciaramella brings to life Medieval and early Renaissance music from historical events and manuscripts. Praised for performing intricate fifteenth-century counterpoint "with the ease of jazz musicians improvising on a theme," its members are united by the conviction that every omposition conceals a rich story waiting to be unlocked through historical research and speculative performance.

Founded on a core of winds: shawm, sackbut, recorder, organ, and voice, Ciaramella takes its name from the Italian shawm and from a fifteenth-century song about abeautiful girl whose clothes are full of holes. When she opens her mouth, she knocks men flat. Ciaramella's members met as graduate students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. They first performed together on Christmas Day 2003, in Spoleto, Italy. There they collaborated with musicologist Gioia Filocamo to perform music from the manuscript Panciatichi 27, much of which had not been heard for centuries. In 2004, the group performed in a staged production of the first Hebrew play, A Comedy of Betrothal by Leone de'Sommi (c.1550) at the Cleveland Museum of Art. "

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Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 321

"With a riot of period instruments, lusty voices and all the exuberance of an early street or theatre band, THE CITY WAITES perform popular English songs, ballads and dance music from the Tudor period to the early 19th century. Street cries, theatre songs, bawdy broadside ballads, early Music Hall, Coffee House catches, courtly dances and the foot-stomping rhythms of a village dance band.

Performances in concert halls, festivals, historic houses, corporate functions and cultural events throughout the world; British Council tours to Middle and Far East; universities in USA, major London venues incl Queen Elizabeth Hall; collaborations with Shakespeare’s Globe, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, RSC; Royal National Theatre; TV, radio and film soundtracks. …”

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Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 343

"The Clemencic Consort is an early-music ensemble comprised of international artists under the direction of René Clemencic. It performs in varying combinations of voices and instruments, depending on the programme.

Singers and instrumentalists from around the world have made it their task to interpret music from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period on historical instruments. They set great store on lively authenticity, but at the same time they consciously avoid "the wagging finger". The programmes are structured in such a way that they convey a colourful overall impression of the respective period. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 583

"Collegium 419 is a vocal ensemble specializing in music of the 16th to 18th century. It performs in different casts, depending on type of project, from vocal ensemble (5 singers) to a chamber choir (16 - 24 singers). The ensemble features lesser known works of the Renaissance and Baroque polyphony with particular consideration for coherent dramaturgy. Collegium 419 cooperates with leading instrumentalists, who follow historical performance praxis of early music. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 399

"For over a decade and a half, Concerto Palatino, under the direction of Bruce Dickey and Charles Toet, has been leading the way in the revival of the cornetto and baroque trombone. Their highly acclaimed concerts and recordings have brought an appreciation of their important but little known music to modern audiences, and stimulated many young players to take up these instruments, practically unknown a generation ago. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 321

"Early music ensemble "Drolls" was established in 1999. The o­nly field of activity of the ensemble is western European music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

OUR CREDO:
The majority of people consider the Middle Ages to be the gloomy time of inquisition fires or the world of fantasy with the traditional set of elfs and dragons.

It is the contribution of courses of history and Hollywood movies. We chose another path.

We don't depict people of the past; it is impossible, because we are surrounded by other religions. We practice the following principle: during the last centuries the mankind has changed, but the Man has remained unchangeable. The Man still loves and has fun as eight centuries ago.

It is possible to feel the still living past by means of music. The music, which has been historical, unfairly forgotten and depreciatingly put off. We strive for proof and prove this principle by every our performance. We are always glad and happy when our creative work awakes response by different audience: from specialists to unsophisticated audience. It serves as the doubtless evidence of the fact that we are o­n the right way. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 329

"Faye Newton and Hazel Brooks met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where they discovered a shared passion for medieval music and poetry. They subsequently worked together in the award-winning ensemble Concanentes and in the year 2000 they formed ‘duo Trobairitz’ to explore the courtly song repertoire of the troubadours and trouvères, which is especially appropriate to their combination of voice and vielle. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 400

"José Hernández Pastor, altus; Ariel Abramovich, vihuela; Hernán Cuadrado, vihuela de arco.

The artistic project of El Cortesano was born in Basle, Switzerland, in 1998, thanks to the fortunate meeting of two young musicians both passionately dedicated to renaissance music. Although both studied at the Schola Cantorum Basilensis, José Hernández and Ariel Abramovich have different musical backgrounds and life experience, which enables them to put forward both diverse and complementary visions.

Inspired perhaps by their youthful enthusiasm, the duo have rejected rigid and universalist visions of this music. In order to compensate for this departure from conventionalism, they have found it necessary to search for new answers by the in-depth study of a careful selection of the period's incredibly rich poetic and musical output. In this investigation, the members of El Cortesano have turned directly to the original sources, without the mediation of modern editors.

Guided by the conviction that, as Castiglione put it in the work the group takes its name from, declamation can make wonders out of words, the duo embarked upon the adventure of experimenting with ways of bringing the music closer to the text. Thus they began a profound investigation, which throughout the years has been the key to defining a committed and rigorous artistic conception, widely acknowledged today. From this perspective, it is only direct communication with the audience -and the ephemeral spell this creates- that justifies the performance.

In such diverse situations and places as The Semana de la Música Antigua de Estella and the Festival Are More in Vigo among others, performances in renowned concert halls such as the Palau de la Música de Valencia and the Príncipe Felipe in Oviedo, and presentations all over Spain, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, Ecuador and Argentina, El Cortesano has been able to generate the same phenomenon; that of enabling the audience to participate in a singular artistic experience, inviting them to introspection and the encounter with the sensuality of this type of art.

The group’s recording career began in 2002 with El Parnasso, recorded by the French label Arcana, following an intense period of research into Castillian vihuelist's Estevan Daça's work (Valladolid, 1576), never previously recorded. This record was well received by critics and public, helping strengthen the duo’s identity and giving them the confidence to envisage future projects with enthusiasm. Among these we have, in the 2006 agenda, performances in Canada, the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, and the recording of an original and innovative second album. "

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Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 319

"Ensemble Claude-Gervaise is a group of musicians who specialise in the interpretation of early music as well as early music instruments. " (transl. ed.) See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 440

"Created in Paris in 1978, the Ensemble Clément Janequin performs sacred and secular vocal music of the Renaissance, from Josquin to Monteverdi. Their inimitable performances of the French 16th century Chanson have revealed what is now appreciated to be one of the Golden Ages in the history of French music, their recordings for harmonia mundi, Les Cris de Paris, Le Chant des Oyseaulx, Fricassée Parisienne and La Chasse being considered as benchmark interpretations. With tremendous appeal to a broad audience, these works by Janequin, Sermisy, Bertrand, Costeley, Lassus, Le Jeune... abound in the stylistic contrasts so dear to the Renaissance: the touching lyricism of the chanson amoureuse, the earthy humour of the chanson rustique that draws upon popular farce, the sounds of war, nature and street cries - a unique marriage of popular and high Renaissance culture. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 308

"Ensemble Gombert is Melbourne's outstanding chamber choir, noted for its pure intonation and historic approach to choral sound and style. Named after Nicolas Gombert (c. 1495 - 1560), who has been largely ignored in the twentieth century despite an exemplary reputation amongst his contemporaries, the Ensemble specialises in a cappella performance of Franco-Flemish music of the High Renaissance. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 428

"Since their foundation in 2000, the vocal-instrumental "Ensemble Inégal" has profiled as a unique group, interpreting music from Renaissance to Romanticism. Inégal - unequal - means, besides variableness of the cast, versatility in styles, dramaturgical resourcefulness and unconventional approach to searching for interpretation values. Our advantage is a refined selection of members - the best Czech and foreign singers and instrumentalists. Today, Ensemble Inégal belongs among the top musical ensembles and, since its beginning, it has roused interest among music-loving public and received many enthusiastic reviews from expert critics in Europe and the USA. Ensemble Inégal has released a number of very successful CDs. The first CD record Mass in D-major, op. 86 "Lužanská" by Antonín Dvořák was made in 2001 in the Chateau chapel in Lužany, whose consecration Dvořák composed this Mass for. In 2003, Ensemble Inégal had their world recording premiere of sacral compositions by the Czech baroque composer Jan Josef Ignác Brentner (1689-1742), who used to be one of the most successful composers in central Europe during his life, yet he was forgotten almost completely during the following centuries. We managed to bring back to life his musical works, charged with extraordinary resourcefulness, original and unmistakable style and unusual inward emotionality. Several weeks ago, Ensemble Inégal has finished the latest CD record, which is a world premiere again. The star cast recorded the oratorio Il serpente di bronzo (Bronze Snake) by one of the greatest personality of European baroque music, phenomenal composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 362

“The Ensemble Mikado’s present combination of soprano, viola da gamba/viella, and three recorders was formed in Vienna in the spring of 2003. Since then, the winners of the 2004 International Young Artists Presentation—Early Music (IYAP) in Antwerp have known how to enthuse both audiences and the musical press at national and international festivals. Numerous concert performances have led the ensemble to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Poland, Italy and Belgium, to the Vienna Recorder Days, the Hörgänge in the Vienna Konzerthaus, to the ISCM World Music Days, the early music festivals in Brežice and Radovljica in Slovenia, the Festival for Early Music in Bolzano, Italy, the Wratislavia Cantans Festival in Poland, the Laus Polyphoniae in Belgium, the Aqua Musica and Oude-Muziek-Network in the Netherlands, the Trigonale Festival in Carinthia, Austria and to the Tage Alter Musik in Regensburg, among others. In the selection of its repertoire, the ensemble focuses on both the music of the end of the Middle Ages (Ars nova and Ars subtilior) and that of the English Renaissance at the time of William Shakespeare. Unusual instrumentations and unconventional arrangements arise in the ensemble’s search for new ways of interpreting early music in a modern fashion. In February 2009 the CD "Can she excuse ?" was awarded the "Pasticcio-prize" by Ö1/ORF (Austrian Cultural Broadcasting Station).“

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Early music ensemble from Italy. Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 512

"Ensemble "Responsorium" is closely specialised in the performance of vocal and instrumental pieces of the 16th and early 17th century. Special prominence is given to the revitalisation of Croatian baroque musical literature. The ensemble follows the principle of authentic and historically informed interpretation of early music. It has so far carried out numerous successful projects performing at the most prominent festivals: Donaufestwochen, Austria; Musical Evenings in St. Donat; Concerts in Basilica Euphrasiana; Musical evenings in Lubenice ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 314

"We met in the spring of 2004 in the state academy of music in Trossingen, a small town which lies in the Black Forest in the south of Germany. Four musicians from four different nationalities: Germany, France, Transylvania and Israel. We soon found that we share a common language and a common fascination with the polyphonic music of the late Middle Ages. Music that manages to express the deepest human feelings in a delicate, poetic manner, in a way that, in our belief, has not been surpassed. Through playing together we have learnt to know each other, to develop our own language and our own approach to this wonderful music which, in all of its complexity, leaves much freedom to the performer.

The use of instruments reconstructed based on medieval iconography allows us to approach the original soundscape. We attach great importance to the understanding of the musical language of the period, now having become foreign of today's classical musicians. Thus, a bit in the manner of a performer facing a contemporary work with a new language, it is a matter of decoding little by little the written page, to try to understand the essence of a piece, and to discover its meaning with our personal modern frames of mind

Santenay
The ensemble draws its name from the castle of Santenay, in Burgundy, seigniorial residence from the XIth to the XVIth century, belonging in the XIVth century to Philippe le Hardi, son of the king of France Jean le Bon and first duke of Greater Burgundy. Thus this castle constitutes for us in a way a symbol of the apogee of the culture at the Burgundian court. Today the lands of the castle of Santenay are also known for their excellent wine production."

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Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 403

"The broad spectrum and vitality of medieval and early Renaissance music are made accessable to a wider audience. Musicians from Austria, Italy and Germany specialized in playing historical instruments make up the core of this European ensemble. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 531

"Europa Galante has performed in many of the world's major concert halls and theatres: La Scala in Milan, the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Lincoln Center in New York and the Sydney Opera House. The ensemble has toured throughout Australia, Japan, Canada, Israel, USA and South America and often collaborates with the Ente Santa Cecilia in Rome to find and restore eighteenth-century Italian operas such as Antonio Caldara's La Passione di Gesù Cristo and Leonardo Leo's Sant'Elena al Calvario. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 257

"From its home in Birmingham, Ex Cathedra has established an international reputation as a leading UK choir and Early Music ensemble. Under founder and Artistic Director, Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra is known for its vibrant performances and a passion for seeking out not only the best but the unfamiliar and the unexpected in the choral repertoire. Since its formation in 1969, Ex Cathedra has grown into a unique musical resource, comprising specialist choir, vocal consort of ten voices, period-instrument orchestra and thriving education programme.

Recent years have seen a major increase in Ex Cathedra’s national and international reputation thanks to its trail-blazing performances of Early Music – in particular the French and Latin American Baroque – and its role as a leading exponent of choral training and vocal skills education. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 452

"The Freiburger Spielleyt is one the pre-eminent ensembles for early music. Many concerts in the field of sacred as well as secular music, broadcast, TV and CD-recordings made the ensemble famous. The group is known for their joy of music in connection with a conscious interpretation of historical sources, and: “… they have an excellent soprano amongst them. Regina Kabis has a wonderful and clear timbre which sounds as if it were just made for early music. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 333

"The Gabrieli Consort & Players were founded by Paul McCreesh in 1982 and have just celebrated their 25th anniversary season. Initially recognised for their mould-breaking reconstructions of music for historical occasions, they have gone on to captivate audiences worldwide with their bold readings of the masterworks of the baroque and renaissance. They are regularly heard at major festivals and concert halls throughout Europe and the USA. In partnership with Martin Randall Music Management, they have pioneered new areas of 'cultural tourism' in creating festivals of music in historic centres, including Venice, Rome, Naples, Leipzig, and northern Spain. September 2007 saw the ensemble's largest residency to date as part of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival in Wrocław, Poland, where Paul McCreesh became Artistic Director in 2006. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 433

"Gaïta is a group based in Edinburgh dedicated to Medieval Music. They are performers of medieval music and early dance, produce books of medieval music, and design and build medieval instruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 418

"Like so many of the best things in life, the birth of Gothic Voices came about almost by accident. Back in 1980 Christopher Page was asked by the BBC to put together a programme of plainchant by the 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Record producer Ted Perry tuned in to that broadcast and it so impressed him that he set up what was to become one of the best-selling recordings of pre-classical music ever made: A Feather on the Breath of God — Hymns and Sequences by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Since that time, Gothic Voices has recorded a further twenty CDs on the Hyperion label, three of which have won the coveted Gramophone Magazine Award. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 425

"It’s not an ensemble of harps, but rather the combination of one early harp with singers, lutes, baroque guitars, viols, violins, early flutes, shawms, bagpipes and percussion: anything from a medieval trio to a baroque orchestra.

Our repertoire contrasts folk dances and the highest art music; medieval song, renaissance consorts and baroque operas. Rhythm, dance and improvisation are to the fore.

And, by the way, we don't just play dance-music. Guitarist Steven Player brings historical dance-steps to life with rhythmic footwork and improvised choreographies. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 314