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Byrd: Harpsichord Music / Leonhardt

$11.99

Details

Composer
BYRD, WILLIAM
Artist
Gustav Leonhardt
Format
CD
Label
Alpha
Released
Aug 24, 2018
Catalog #
ALPHA348
UPC
3760014193484

About


The harpsichord isn't the most ingratiating instrument to listen to for long periods, but when you hear one that's well-made--full-bodied, with a resonance that's complementary and well-integrated across registers (no clangorous bass trying to meld with tinny treble), you're in for what can be a very satisfying experience. And just how satisfying depends on the player and how he or she uses the particular instrument's registers and stops, and how clearly the fingering articulates the rhythms, which means a knowledgable and skillful managing of the spaces between the notes as well as the notes themselves. Gustav Leonhardt needs no introduction to fans of the harpsichord or of early music in general; he's one of the pioneers of modern technique and scholarship. And his instrument, a copy of the famous 1579 Lodewijk Theewes claviorgan by Malcolm Rose, is a magnificent example of 16th-century keyboard construction. This harpsichord can really make a sound--and the recording (you can really turn it up!) fully complements the instrument's very personable timbre and room-filling dynamic range. Not that Byrd's music is especially flamboyant--but the harpsichord's substantial tone allows these 14 pieces to move easily from parlor to concert hall with no degradation of their subtle structures or genteel dance origins. There's nothing overtly virtuosic in Byrd's writing--but that's the point. These works were for relatively ordinary folks to enjoy--and there's no doubt that if you have any interest in harpsichord music at all, when you hear Leonhardt's performances you will be among them. [1/12/2006]

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 14 tracks

  1. 1 Pavan 05:15
    Track
    1
    Title
    Pavan
    Duration
    05:15
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  2. 2 Galliard 01:31
    Track
    2
    Title
    Galliard
    Duration
    01:31
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  3. 3 Clarifica me, Pater 02:58
    Track
    3
    Title
    Clarifica me, Pater
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  4. 4 Qui passe for my Lady Nevell 03:51
    Track
    4
    Title
    Qui passe for my Lady Nevell
    Duration
    03:51
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  5. 5 Alman in G Minor 01:42
    Track
    5
    Title
    Alman in G Minor
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  6. 6 Pavan 05:21
    Track
    6
    Title
    Pavan
    Duration
    05:21
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  7. 7 Galliard 01:35
    Track
    7
    Title
    Galliard
    Duration
    01:35
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  8. 8 Lavolta No. 2 in G Minor 01:18
    Track
    8
    Title
    Lavolta No. 2 in G Minor
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  9. 9 Pavan 05:29
    Track
    9
    Title
    Pavan
    Duration
    05:29
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  10. 10 Galliard 01:41
    Track
    10
    Title
    Galliard
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  11. 11 Ut re mi fa sol la, in G Major 07:32
    Track
    11
    Title
    Ut re mi fa sol la, in G Major
    Duration
    07:32
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  12. 12 Ground in C Major 03:13
    Track
    12
    Title
    Ground in C Major
    Duration
    03:13
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  13. 13 Rowland, "Lord Willoughby's Welcome home" (from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book) 02:46
    Track
    13
    Title
    Rowland, "Lord Willoughby's Welcome home" (from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book)
    Duration
    02:46
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt
  14. 14 Fantasia in A Minor 07:54
    Track
    14
    Title
    Fantasia in A Minor
    Duration
    07:54
    Composer
    William Byrd
    Performer
    Gustav Leonhardt