Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music

Mateo [1] Flecha (Composer), Grant Herreid (Composer), Luys de Narvaez (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Juan Aranes (Composer), Spanish Anonymous (Composer), Francisco de la Torre (Composer), Juan del Encina (Composer), Francisco Guerrero (Composer), Joao IV of Portugal (Composer), David Ortega (Composer), Pedro Ruimonte (Composer), Manuel de Tavares (Composer), Alfonso de Mondejar (Composer), Alonso de Mudarra (Composer), Cancionero de Medinaceli Anonymous (Composer), Gaspar Fernandes (Composer), Piffaro (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Piffaro
• Composer: Mateo [1] Flecha, Grant Herreid, Luys de Narvaez, Anonymous, Juan Aranes, et al.
• Audio CD (June 10, 2003)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B00008AD9Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,827 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous!, March 20, 2005

By 

Boileau0663 (Tournai, Belgique) - See all my reviews

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

A magnificent recording with enthralling melodies that will lift up your spirits. The bagpipes and flute pieces are simply wonderful. In quality, variety and every other aspect, Los Ministriles is certainly comparable to "Sinners and Saints", the great amazon.com Renaissance dance music favorite, the only difference being that this CD only contains instrumental music (no songs).

It is just too bad very few people are aware of it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting Renaissance music, July 2, 2006

By 

Daniel F. Pinkerton "danpink" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music (Audio CD)

I saw a performance by the Globe Theatre that included a wonderful 5-piece English Renaissance musical ensemble. I went looking for some music like that --- music that included viols, lute, wind, reed, and percussion instruments. The particular sound wasn't easy to find, despite a plethora of English Renaissance CDs. This album of Spanish music from the 15th and 16th centuries actually came closer to the sound I was looking for. It alternates between haunting minor key melodies --- pavanes and the like --- and faster, livlier dance tunes. They're a wind ensemble, but there's actually a tune for solo lute. A lot of variety in a memorable and reasonably priced CD. I highly recommend it. (Although I hope Piffaro will consider recording a CD of English Renaissance music!)

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, as usual., November 15, 2005

By 

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Los Ministriles: Spanish Renaissance Wind Music (Audio CD)

'Los Ministriles, Spanish Renaissance Wind Music' is, I believe, the Philadelphia band, Piffaro's second or third album and I really find it more enjoyable than their parallel album on Italian Rennaissance music. The instruments are virtually identical, with a fair mix of stringed instruments added to round out the sound, but I really enjoyed the overall listening experience more. So, if you are unfamiliar with this band, get this album before the Italian or French albums.

This is an interesting contrast to the works of Begona Olavide and the Eduardo Paniagua Group' of which Olavide is a member. This Spanish group specializes in Medieval and Renaissance stringed instruments. And, from a purely subjective reaction, I prefer their work to Piffaro. I also think their scholarship is more interesting, but then, they are all Spanish, and Spanish specialists, so that is to be expected.

The visceral preference may be the only one worth banking on.

Worth the money, Olavide and Paniagua may be greater value.