Customer Reviews

Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This selection of music from Praetorius' Terpsichore (a small selection from over 300 individual pieces) is very enjoyable. It spans several different styles from few instruments to the whole kit and kaboodle, and voice. You can tell they had fun in those days. I keep this one in my car and listen to it over and over from start to finish, never needing to skip a track. If you are interested in Renaissance music, this is your ticket; and the price is right.

What we call Renaissance Dance Music has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent decades. No self-respecting record catalogue can afford to be without it. Naxos offers this 57-minute CD, comprising 28 items from Michael Praetorius's collection "Terpsichore" of 1612. Nowhere in the published collection was instrumentation specified, hence modern groups such as this have fun "setting" each piece for the combinations of period instruments they play. Sometimes some fancy percussion is added to help point the dance rhythms.

Good fun, variety, and versatility are to be heard in the work of this fine Swedish ensemble, marred slightly by a narrow recording spectrum that lacks high and low frequencies. A reproduction of "The Peasant Dance" by Pieter Breugel the Elder adorns the front cover.

If "early" or "renaissance" music appeals to you, Praetorius' Dances from Terpsichore should be a keystone of your collection. The melodies are lively, the gaiety is palpable. The performances on this disc are indeed spirited, with a nice balance between foot-pounding numbers and more stately melodies. Some selections include vocals (mainly in old French), which are entrancing. Even if this period of music isn't quite your favorite, this super-cheap disc definitely is worth a try; you may even change your tastes as a result of hearing it. By the way, Mr. Hurwitz' review has one error: the main performers are Swedish, not Dutch, and they are joined by a Swiss group on several tracks.

I have been a Praetorius fan since 1965 when I was a teenager, and I will always buy recordings featuring his music. I've had to re-order this particular CD again because I wore a hole in it playing it in the car, at home, hotel rooms, you name it. This CD is a lot of fun. One can dance to the tunes, hum along, and just kick back and relax ... not recommended when driving a car, however. Praetorius was also a "serious" religious musician, and this is a nice, secular change from his heavier stuff. Highly recommended!

This music is not just beautiful but also serves as a great period piece that can be used in class to set a mood. This is clearly secular and contrasts nicely with other music that is religious to show that all people's minds were not just on the heavens -- but were also, at least occasionally, on earth as well. This is music that is light and lifts the spirit --then I am sure as well as now. Play this for students and they will like it.

Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore is a recording under direction of Bertin Färnlöf whom leads the Ensemble Bourrasque and the amazing soprano Lena Hellström Färnlöf on this Naxos recording from 1997. The booklet is all in Swedish and the well written liner noted are written by the conductor himself. It contains a list of who plays what and this is very intersting to see what instruments were used during the time when Praetorious was composing. Highly recommended. 5/5.

Sorry, I hit the send key too soon on my previous submission. The main performers are indeed Swedish, but they are joined on some tracks by a Swiss (not Dutch) group.

There was a terrific LP released by Archiv on vinyl in the 70s called "Dances from the time of Praetorius" - I bought this CD hoping it would be essentially the equivalent release. I realize now that the Archiv LP included only 6 dances actually written by Praetorius, which do appear to be included in this CD.

The Archiv LP also included 5 compositions by Erasmus Widmann and 12 by Johann Schein. As far as I can tell, that release is not available on CD. This CD may be only part of the solution for anyone who is trying to find it.