Customer Reviews

A Renaissance Tour of Europe

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There is something very special about this album -- and that such comes from Dorian should be no surprise. The New York Kammermusiker shows the brilliance, majesty and romantic beauty of the Renaissance in this very fine double reed album. Prime yourself for a relaxing evening, or a fantastic foray through the senses as you listen to the numerous pavannes, canzones, and other dances found here.

The album's 40 tracks include works by such famous composers as Claudio Monteverdi, Samuel Scheidt, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, Orlande de Lassus, and Hans Leo Hassler -- names sure to be recognized by lovers of Renaissance music everywhere. And lest you think these pieces merely cast-offs, think again! These are choice pieces, as savory to the ear as any chamber piece by Bach or Mozart -- perhaps more so.

A note of warning to the casual listener: Played all the way through, this 75-minute album -- while certainly enjoyable -- can seem overbearing. If you find this to be the case here -- Listen a little, take a break, then come back to it. You won't be disappointed in the least. One needs to remember that this music originally was meant to be played in the background, and enjoyed for its own merits.

Happy listening!

Very listenable, well-performed Renaissance overview.
Very enjoyable cd that I keep going back to over & over. Some discs of this sort begin to all sound similar, & a tad monotonous, but definately NOT this one. There are also very interesting notes with explanations about the dances & short bios on the many composers on this disc. Unusually well-recorded, as are many of the Dorian CDs.

The New York Kammermusiker, a double reed ensemble, has put together a impressive and enjoyable collection of music from the mid-15th to the mid-17th centuries, covering most of the Renaissance period.

If one is already a devotee of Renaissance music, this collection should come as a welcome addition, if not, this CD is an excellent vehicle for making the acquaintance of some good early music.

This is a refreshing sampler of the music of the Renaissance, played by a beautiful ensemble. I wish there were more double reed ensembles out there, but even if there were, I'm sure this group would stand out as one of the better groups. There is much nuance and good phrasing in their playing, not to mention that the repertoire is a lot of fun. There is a lot of variety in the album, from noble, grand French court music to lively English dances...from Italian and German counterpoint to sweet English love songs.

To some, Renaissance music starts to all sound the same. Perhaps that's because they haven't quite heard all the different kinds of music that existed in that time. This disc is a great introduction to the repertoire, as well as a pleasing new look at the old music for someone more seasoned in the style. Again, the double reeds...(in this recording, oboe, oboe d'amore, english horn, bassoon, and contrabassoon, used with various numbers of each)...sound wonderful: coy and sweet at one moment, robust and rich the next.

If you like Renaissance music, you'll love this CD. Same goes for NY Kammermusiker's "A Baroque Celebration." They're two of my favorites. In fact, I logged on today to Amazon to see if NYK has other CD's out now. I'd buy them in a minute.

I listened to the first track's sample on Amazon and it gives you a good idea of the style of the music, though the sound quality on the sample is so poor that much of the vitality is lost.

I love the recording I already had of the NY Kammermusiker (A Baroque Celebration), and was thrilled to find this other CD.

I am very happy with the music, but ... but ... this is apparently a re-release of this disc, and the copy (brand-new!) that I got has liner notes that are virtually useless. It only lists 24 of the 40 tracks, and the inside of the liner is absolutely blank. I'm particularly disappointed because of the comment by Christian Ellithorpe in his December 6, 2002 review - "There are also very interesting notes with explanations about the dances & short bios on the many composers on this disc. "

So, is this an economy measure by Dorian, or did I just get a bum copy?

Listening but not reading, - Susan