Divisions

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
"Divisions" is the third release by classical/flamenco guitarist Michael Boyd and is a collection of beautiful, popular music by well-known composers from Renaissance to Contemporary.

Tracks:

J'ai vu le loup
Has tu point veu
Branle double
Branle double: Branle de Montirande
Branle double: Branle de la torche
Mignonne, allons voir si la rose
Frais et gaillard
Un m'avoit promis
Volte
Mes pas semez
Gaillarde d'escosse
Gaillarde d'escosse: Laroque Gaillarde
Gaillarde d'escosse: Alemand de Liege
Ma bergere, ma lumiere
Estans assis aux rives aquatiques (Ps. 137) - Estans assis - Estans assis - Estans assis
Prelude
Prelude: Tant qe vivray
Un gay bergere
O Madame, pers-je mon tems
J'ay le rebours
Branles de village
Un jeune fillette
Un jeune fillette
Un jeune fillette
Un jeune fillette
Jean de Nivelle

Amazon.com

This title isn't just a joke. It makes the valid point that these Renaissance pieces occupied the same place in their culture as our pop music does in ours. People whistled these tunes in the street and danced to them at night, and you can easily accept the disc's title when hearing the Baltimore Consort's extremely lively performances, which have all the rhythmic drive and gusto of a good rock band. The ensemble's arrangements and the variety of its programming also contribute to the success of this disc, which would make an excellent introduction to music of the period. The booklet contains translations of all the vocal texts, and Dorian's sound leaps out of the loudspeakers with great clarity and presence. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

My favorite + audiophile recording.......2005-05-26

I've attended Baltimore Consort performances a number of times, and they are just about my favorite early music group. They do an outstanding job of making "old" music come alive. Sometimes early music recordings are dry and academic, and the Baltimore Consort is as far from that as you can get. Finally, they have a great since of humor, which often peaks through in their music.

They specialize in popular secular tunes of the age. Their playing is impeccable, and most of the group are accomplished soloists. La Rocque 'n' Roll is probably my favorite recording of theirs, the songs are fun, interesting, and involving. The best of the best...

The fact that the recording is technically very good is a nice bonus. As a matter of fact, "Jean de Nivelle" (track 26) is the first thing I play when evaluating speakers. It helps that I've heard the performance live (and unamplified), so I have a real life comparison. The recoding clearly captures the nuances of the individual instruments. Although obviously not as loud as modern rock, the recording still gives challenges speaker dynamics. Unlike some gee whiz audiophile recordings, I can listen to these songs again and again.

absolute favorite .......2004-10-16

I've been collecting renaissance/medieval music for several years and have finally found something that sounds as though the musicians are actually having FUN with the repertoire. This is a blast, I recommend it to all.

Fun stuff!.......2002-11-29

The jaunty, whimsical tone of this CD is set by the opening bars of the first piece, "J'ai vu le loup," which starts out with one of the musicians shouting "Un! Dieux!" Many parallels are subtly drawn between the secular music of Renaissance France and popular music of today. "The appeal of performing 'popular' repertory lies in the opportunity it provides for creative expression," explains the insert booklet. "All of the song and dance arrangements on this CD are the creation of the members of the Baltimore Consort, who sometimes only have an unharmonized melody to start with..." What they may lack in specific direction from the long-dead song writers, they more than make up for with catchy arrangements and spirited improvisations. Soprano Custer LaRue sings her sultry French lyrics with relish and gusto, and the addition of reedy crumhorns and bagpipes played by Chris Norman and Mark Cudek adds to the provincial French flavor. The fun of the music is echoed in the CD's amusing packaging: The album cover, somewhat reminiscent of the Beatles' "Abbey Road", features the ensemble members walking along in single file, with their viol and lute cases in hand. Other interior pictures of the group poke fun at other folk and rock imagery, including one shot of a gentleman in shades licking the neck of his bass viol. Not exactly the norm for early music releases, but refreshing for just that reason. Rocque on!

A perfect album.......2000-02-22

This is my favorite CD of all time. I've had it now for five years, I listen to it all the time, and I never get tired of it. Every track is enormously beautiful, from the bright and sunny tunes through the quieter and more melancholy ones.

This is a CD that sounds perfect in the early morning, late at night, or any other time of day.

I've become a huge fan of the Baltimore Consort (one of the highlights of my life was seeing the group perform the songs on this album live at Synod Hall in Pittsburgh, PA) and "La Rocque 'n' Roll" is their "Sgt. Pepper."

If Led Zeppelin had been born 400 years earlier..........1999-10-02

...and played the lute, they would've played like Ron McFarlane, and sang like Custer LaRue. Wonderful performances of 16th C popular music on historical instruments, with lovely twists of rock'n'roll performance techniques. Check out the jazzy krummhorn glissandos, the sexy lute strumming, the straight-ahead power vocal, and the hip plucked bass viol -- especially on the last track. This is my #1 "Desert Island Disk."

William Lawes: Consort Music for Viols, Lutes & Theorbos

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William Lawes: Consort Music for Viols, Lutes & Theorbos

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000013UM
Release Date: 1996-02-20

Tracks:

Set a VI in G minor: for 2Theobos: Paven - T. Roberts/J. Heringman/D. Miller/
Set a VI in G minor: for 2 Theobos: Aire
Set a VI in G minor: for 2 Theobos: Aire
Consort Set a 5 in C Major: Fantazy
Consort Set a 5 in C Major: Paven
Consort Set a 5 in C Major: Aire
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos: Fantazy
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos: Aire
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos: Alman
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos: Corant I
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos: Corant II
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos: Saraband
Royal Consort In D Minor: for 2 theorbos:Ecco
Pieces for Two Lutes: Alman
Pieces for Two Lutes: Corant
Pieces for Two Lutes: Corant
Divisions on a Pavan in G Minor
Consort Set a 5 in A Minor: Fantazy
Consort Set a 5 in A Minor: Fantazy
Consort Set a 5 in A Minor: Aire
Royal Consort in D Major: For 2 Theorbos: Fantazy
Royal Consort in D Major: For 2 Theorbos: Aire
Royal Consort in D Major: For 2 Theorbos: Corant
Royal Consort in D Major: For 2 Theorbos: Alman
Royal Consort in D Major: For 2 Theorbos: Ecco
Royal Consort in D Major: For 2 Theorbos: Aire-Morris

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Italian Renaissance Dances, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Hmf Classical Exp.
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Release Date: 2002-04-09

Average customer rating:

Curiously refreshing. With a touch of Friesen and Meyer.
Varied Viola da Gamba

Galax: Music for Viola da Gamba

Manufacturer: New Albion Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000000R3J
Release Date: 1994-06-03

Tracks:

Twin Rows
Gamba Quartet: Allegro moderato
Gamba Quartet: Cantabile
Gamba Quartet: Allegretto
Prelude And Divisions On She's So Heavy
Adagio - Allegro moderato: I.
Adagio - Allegro moderato: II.
Fanfare
Quartet After Abel: Allegro moderato
Quartet After Abel: Cantabile
Quartet After Abel: Allegretto
Galax

Customer Reviews:

Curiously refreshing. With a touch of Friesen and Meyer........2001-03-24

I must confess that I am basing this review on a borrowed copy of Roy Whelden's "Galax," loaned to me by a friend. But this is such an interesting album that I feel compelled to write these words earlier rather than later. And I hasten to add that my own copy is already on order.

The viola da gamba was the immediate predecessor of the modern cello. Often utilized in "authentic instrument" performances of Renaissance and Baroque music, and of course in solo music for which it had been specifically written, the instrument does not have quite the sound projection qualities and sonorous resonance of the modern cello (which were a natural outgrowth of the efforts of Stradiveri, Guarneri, Amati and others of the Cremona era). But it does appear to have one unique, peculiar advantage over the cello, an advantage that must be related to a difference in bridge design. The bridge, for those not familiar with instruments of the viol and violin families, not only serves the purpose of transmitting string vibrations to the instrument body and soundpost, but also affects the ease with which "multple stops" - chords on two or more strings - can be played, depending on how steeply or flatly it is curved. It would appear that a viola da gamba bridge is measurably flatter than a cello bridge, simplifying the generation of multiple stops. And Roy Whelden takes full advantage of this ability of the viola da gamba in several of the selections in this album, particularly those coming from his own pen.

Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) was a contemporary of, and collaborator with, Johann Christian Bach. Together, they strived to maintain awareness of the instrument, in the face of its quickly being replaced in this early Classical period by the cello, with new compositions for the instrument and through a series of concerts (the Bach-Abel series, in London). Abel was also reputed to be a legendary improvisor on the instrument, and that's where my interest really kicks in. String instrument improvisation just "gets to me" and seemingly brings me alive.

Using authentic instruments, Whelden and the American Baroque do a fine job on Abel's Gamba Quartet, in which the middle movement is swapped, even-up, for one by Whelden from his "Quartet after Abel." Very nicely done.

But on to the main course: Whelden's own music, performed of course by him. He notes that his compositions have had several influences, including minimalism, serialism and Appalachian fiddle music.

The opening track, "Twin Rows," is claimed by Whelden to use techniques drawn from minimal music. I hear, instead, an early-instrument improvisation that might well have been performed by Eugene Friesen, a cello improvisor of more than a little reknown. While not quite the "bow shredder" that Eugene can be, Roy Whelden does have the advantage of the flatter bridge of the viola da gamba, and makes full use of it in putting together a piece loaded up on multiple stops very cleanly done. I must say I liked it, and wonder aloud if Eugene Friesen is aware of this seeming counterpart.

"Prelude and Division on `She's So Heavy'," a Beatles tune, and "Fanfare," an improvisation incorporating serialism in a way that is not likely to offend those who are put off by the whole idea, are whimsy personified in both title and execution.

"Galax," according to Whelden, is named after a town in Virginia having the most famous fiddle festival on the East coast. He may as well have called it "Edgar" or "Meyer," for the first thought that pops into my mind is the improvisational work of that extraordinary bassist. Without a doubt, my favorite track on the album. Followed closely enough by "Twin Rows."

A bit of Friesen and a bit of Meyer, both on viola da gamba, all in a day's work. And, I must say, a very good day's work at that. If you can connect to Edgar or Eugene, give Roy a try.

Bob Zeidler

Varied Viola da Gamba.......2000-09-08

One does not frequently hear viola da gamba compositions actually played on that instrument itself, as opposed to the cello, which is the usual substitute. In that respect, this CD is a real treat, and Roy Whelden certainly has command of the instrument.

The compositions by Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) are beautiful; his works are not heard often enough. If one is fond of the baroque period, but is not familiar with Abel, here is an opportunity to remedy that situation.

Customer Reviews:

Little Purcell, but Lots of Great Music.......2002-11-01

I first bought this disc on cassette, and promptly wore it out before getting the CD version. As a showcase of little-known English and Italian composers working in late 17th-century London, it's a real gem--bright trumpet playing, bold strings, and mostly bouncy melodies, some of which betray their origins as theatre pieces. The only Purcell on it, if you're looking, is a short (1 minute) Cibell that closes the disc. But forget Purcell for the moment and enjoy Nicola Matteis, Godfrey Keller, and all of the other obscure names who were certainly Purcell's contemporaries, and whose appearance here flesh out our understanding of what a truly great musical nation England was during the 17th century. My only complaint is that, since this is one of Hyperion's older releases, it is timed to fit on two vinyl sides--I would have been glad of another 20 minutes of this!

Average customer rating:

Genteel Companion

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000030NZ
Release Date: 1997-05-20

Tracks:

Son in G - Richard Harvey/Phili[ Thorby/jackob Lindberg
Trio Son in F, Op.2, No.5: Larghetto-Allegro-Adagio-Allegro - Richard HarveyMonica Huggett/Sarah Cunningham/Timothy Roberts
Wat Zal Men Op Den Avond Doen - Richard Harvey
Son in g, Op.13, No.6 (RV58): Vivace-Adagio-Alla Breve-Largo-Allegro Ma Non Presto - Richard Harvey/Mark Caudle/Timothy Roberts
Division On A Ground in F - Richard Harvey/Philip Thorby/Jakob Lindberg
Petit Jacquet - Richard Harvey/Mark Caudle/Timothy Roberts
Greensleeves To A Ground - Richard Harvey/Philip Thorby/Jakob Lindberg
Son in F: Andante-Allegro Ma Non Troppo-Aria-Giga - Richard Harvey/Mark Caudle/Timothy Roberts

Average customer rating:

This's one of the finest offerings I've heard this Winter!!!
Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca - Bagpipes from hell

Bagpipes from Hell

Manufacturer: Winter & Winter
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00003J6I0
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

The Brown Haired Maiden
L'Arabesque
La Reveuse
La Couperin
Bagpipes
Praeludium Et Fuga, E flat
Prld
Ground Divisions
La Paraza
Rondeau
Le Carillon De Passy
La Girouette
Lancashire Pipes
Twenty Ways Upon The Bells
Praeludium Et Fant, c
Vielle
La Du Vaucel

Amazon.com

For starters, there are no bagpipes on this weird and wonderful mix of 17th- and 18th-century music arranged for lute, ceterone, viola da gamba, and lyra viol. But the playing by Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca (founder of the Giardino Armonico ensemble) on Bagpipes from Hell will have you fooled that something wheezy is at work here. It's an odd mix of dances, including jigs, and folk-inspired numbers ("Brown Haired Maiden," anyone?) that somehow blends the droning elements of bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy with the intricate delicacy of baroque composition. Works by Marin Marais, Christopher Simpson, Antoine Forqueray, and anonymous composers are included, and the playing throughout is intense and exquisitely recorded. Unfortunately, the slim liner notes on the gorgeous Winter & Winter disc don't help to explain why this assortment of music works (and the scary Hieronymous Bosch painting does little more than intimidate), but it's still easy to love. Whether traditional (Simpson's "Ground Divisions") or interpreted (the anonymous 17th-century tune "Bagpipes," where metal strings are used), this is beautiful, seldom-heard music--a little darker than that on most baroque discs, but just as delightful. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

This's one of the finest offerings I've heard this Winter!!!.......2005-03-07

You can laugh about the title. The musicianship is a work of art. Not real bagpipes, either, eh? You've just been charmed. The viols and lute add character to this recording. I just count my lucky stars I was a trust fund baby... 'cause you know this music was created for royalty.

Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca - Bagpipes from hell.......2000-11-25

El repertorio de este disco está compuesto por obras del barroco francés e inglés (además de un par de solos para laúd de S. L. Weiss), interpretadas con viola da gamba y lyra-viol (viola con cuerdas al aire adicionales) por Vittorio Ghielmi, y laúd y ceterone (cittern, instrumento de cuerdas metálicas) por Luca Pianca. La parte francesa está representada por autores como Sainte-Colombe, Marais y Forqueray, y son principalmente movimientos con carácter de danza, probablemente extraídos de distintas sonatas. Están interpretados con mucho gusto, delicadeza y conocimiento de la ornamentación y fraseo. El contrapunto lo ofrecen las obras de autores ingleses (Simpson, Robinson y anónimos), con obras danzables, de carácter más rústico, y con piezas del género de las "divisions", esto es, consistentes en diversas variaciones sobre un mismo bajo. El carácter popular de estas obras está muy bien conseguido en la interpretación, puesto que los músicos ocupan una gama completamente distinta de sonidos para abordarlas, con rasgueos en las cuerdas pulsadas, y con un ataque muy rasposo y duro en la viola, que además consigue imitar con pedales a una gaita. Además, las "divisions" están muy bien abordadas, pues perfilan con distintos matices cada una de las variaciones. En definitiva, éste es un disco que abre bastante los ojos (y los oídos) para quienes esperan de la música barroca algo pulcro, bondadoso e inofensivo, pues son capaces de mostrar, con mucho ánimo y sensibilidad, la distinta gama de afectos posibles de conseguir.

"A Gift Of Nature": English Chamber Music of the 17th Century - Trio Sonnerie / Stephen Stubbs / Andrew Lawrence-King

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"A Gift Of Nature": English Chamber Music of the 17th Century - Trio Sonnerie / Stephen Stubbs / Andrew Lawrence-King

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Release Date: 1994-02-08

C Simpson: The Seasons, The Monthes & other divisions of Time, Vol 1 /Watillon * Heumann * Franklin * Spaeter * Guglielmi

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C Simpson: The Seasons, The Monthes & other divisions of Time, Vol 1 /Watillon * Heumann * Franklin * Spaeter * Guglielmi
Marin Marais , Christopher Simpson , Luca Guglielmi , Matthias Spaeter , Sophie Watillon , Friederike Heumann , and Brian Franklin
Manufacturer: Alpha Productions
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The best Cuban music album I've ever heard!

Villa Medici-Nada Per La Music
Paolo Beschi , Johann Sebastian Bach , Alan Bern , Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber , Johannes Brahms , Uri Caine , Maurice Horsthuis , Jules Massenet , Domenico Scarlatti , Franz Schubert , Robert Schumann , Christopher Simpson , La Gaia Scienza , Luca Pianca , Uri Caine , Marco Bianchi , and Marianne Ronez
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Release Date: 2001-08-21

Customer Reviews:

The best Cuban music album I've ever heard!.......2001-07-10

Each song is a favorite of my collection! This album is simply great! This is the very album you can hear in every kind of mood; when you are in sorrow, it will comfort you; when you are gloomy, it will cheer you up. Simply the best!

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