Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music

Spanish Anonymous (Composer), Juan Aranes (Composer), Manuel Cardoso (Composer), Joan Ambrosio Dalza (Composer), Juan del Encina (Composer), Piffaro (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Piffaro
• Composer: Spanish Anonymous, Juan Aranes, Manuel Cardoso, Joan Ambrosio Dalza, Juan del Encina
• Audio CD (September 16, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B000001GYR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,122 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Renaissance Music is Anything but Boring!, March 19, 2000

By 

Thomas B Dawkins - See all my reviews

This review is from: Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music (Audio CD)

I will admit an immediate bias for this recording, as my Renaissance Music instructor's husband is one of the players. However, leaving that fact out entirely, this disc, like all of Piffaro's recordings, is a joy. I listen to them everywhere, especially when I need to stay awake on long drives. To hear such difficult ensemble instruments as shawms, krumhorns and recorders in a resonant environment, played perfectly in tune is rare. This particular disc ranges from organ-like works for recorder consort to rousing dances like ¡Si abrá in este baldres! Unlike CDs that contain lengthy masses with no lighter interludes (although these are equally gorgeous, especially the Gabrielli Consort's Moralès Mass for the Feast of St. Isidore), Piffaro's CDs are widely varied in terms of instrumentation, style, tempo and inflection. I have played this for many people who claim to not like early music and have had much favorable response, not to mention the personal enjoyment and sheer fun!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pifarro's Best Album!, July 7, 2003

By 

Charles Richards (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music (Audio CD)

Although Pifarro has released some wonderful stuff in the past couple of years, "Los Ministriles" is still, in my opinion, their best offering to date. Simply, this recording is a delight, and although I've heard it dozens of times, it always remains fresh and enjoyable upon each re-aquaintance. There is something about music from the Spanish renaissance that sets it apart from almost anything being written in Europe at the time, and Pifarro captures the fun, spontanaity and pure beauty that this music exudes from note one. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, syncopated music from Piffaro, the Renaissance Band., November 24, 2002

By 

Brianna Neal (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music (Audio CD)

The full title of this album is "Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music", and it features a wide variety of genteel and folksy tunes that would have been played by multi-instrumentalist minstrels employed by the nobles and clergy of the time. Originally founded in 1980 as the Philadelphia Renaissance Wind Band, Piffaro took its current name from the Italian version of "Pfeifer", or piper. And indeed, this group boasts a wide variety of wind instruments: entire families of shawms, recorders and crumhorns; along with sackbuts, a bass dulcian and various bagpipes; accompanied by Spanish essentials such as harp, vihuela, guitar and percussion. The lively and intricate syncopation of Renaissance Spanish compositions lends a distinctive character to this CD in comparison with the group's other releases, which are also very good. Try their Flemish and German recordings too--"A Flemish Feast: Flemish Renaissance Wind Music" and "Stadtpfeiffer: Music of Renaissance Germany".