Gothic Pipes: The Earliest Organ Music

Codex Faenza Anonymous (Composer), Robertsbridge Codex Anonymous (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Adam Ileborgh (Composer), German Anonymous (Composer), Buxheimer Orgelbuch Anonymous (Composer), Kimberly Marshall (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Kimberly Marshall
• Composer: Codex Faenza Anonymous, Robertsbridge Codex Anonymous, Anonymous, Adam Ileborgh, German Anonymous, et al.
• Audio CD (March 23, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Loft Recordings
• ASIN: B0001EFTHY
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,686 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice playing, but out of tune (not nice singing), September 11, 2006

By 

Daniel Mantey "Mr.Wabi" (Kyoto, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gothic Pipes: The Earliest Organ Music (Audio CD)

Please listen to the tracks above, so you can hear that she does play very well, and very nice selection of tunes! BUT, two big problems: 1.)The chants that are included (not on the samples above) should not be on the CD. They are sung out of tune, and the voices are just not very good. Sorry. I always start the CD on track 2, and turn it off before the last track starts; good thing they are only on two cuts! Nice idea, but awful singing. 2.) Perhaps more importantly, she chose the WRONG tuning. She chose Meantone. This is all Medieval music. Yes, there are 3rds, but these are Medieval 3rds, NOT Renaissance 3rds! Medieval 3rds SHOULD be out of tune as they were intervals of motion and direction and not intervals of rest. She should have chosen Pythagorian. Pythagorian tuning puts the 4th and 5ths in tune, and these pieces are all loaded to the brim with 4ths and 5ths, and those ARE the Medieval intervals of rest and cadence. So in other words, the whole CD is out of tune. The latest pieces on the CD are from the early 15th century, and Meantone tuning is absolutely inappropriate (I don't think is was even invented until 100 years later!!!). I think it is this tuning problem, but the CD bothers my ears, and I usually cannot listen to the whole thing at one go. Really too bad, as she plays very well, and the pieces are really super. I hope Kimberly will do the same line-up again on a new CD, leave the singers out, and find a nice ogran (or a few?) tuned at pure Pythagorian(s).