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24 Apr 15 - 02:28 AM (#3703734) Subject: Early music singers From: JennieG Just played on radio was a song by John Dowland sung by a counter tenor, as often seems to be the case. I'm sure in Dowland's time counter tenors or sopranos weren't the only people singing his and other contemporary songs, so I can't help wondering why that so often seems to be the norm now? We never seem to hear "Can she excuse my wrongs" - the song in case - sung by a robust baritone, or "Now, oh now, I needs must part" sung by a deeper female voice. The only exception that comes to mind was Sting's recording of Dowland songs several years ago. |
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24 Apr 15 - 04:04 AM (#3703743) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: Jack Campin A quick google suggests there are no recordings of Dowland by either Paata Burchuladze or Martti Talvela, which is a pity - I'd like to hear those songs with that sort of sound. |
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24 Apr 15 - 06:40 PM (#3703912) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: JennieG Perhaps we should start a new music movement, Jack! |
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24 Apr 15 - 09:09 PM (#3703934) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,davemc There are quite a few recordings by (non-counter)tenors, mezzo-sops and the occasional baritone (like Paul Hillier, for example) but sops and counter-tenors do rule that repertoire for the most part. |
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24 Apr 15 - 11:07 PM (#3703949) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: Stanron I'm not a historian but as I understand it the music of John Dowland and others of his ilk was the music of the privileged upper classes. That's why we have it today, because it was written down and notated or maybe tabbed in the case of lute music, and it was only the privileged who could do that. It wasn't folk music and it hasn't survived through the oral tradition. This is not meant as a criticism. I used to find trained singing awful. It's only recently that I find a voice like a counter tenor not only acceptable but actually amazing. I'm glad this repertoire survived. |
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25 Apr 15 - 01:20 AM (#3703960) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker When you say 'Early Music' are you really only considering British early music...? When I went through a bit of an early music phase 20 odd years ago, I was mainly listening to European, which seemed as far as I can remember now to be more about rhythmic instrumental dance music; one particular Naxos Spanish CD, emphasising extremely heavy pounding drumming... |
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25 Apr 15 - 02:14 AM (#3703966) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: JennieG Not necessarily British......madrigal songs in general, but as John Dowland was prolific his music is quite often played on radio here. Estampie tunes are great fun, but they're not songs! |
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25 Apr 15 - 03:09 AM (#3703971) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,Grandad 9 Might I recommend two recordings by sting called "Songs from the Labyrinth" and "The Journey & the Labyrinth" |
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25 Apr 15 - 03:42 AM (#3703976) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: Jack Campin The Hungarian baritone/lutenist Tamas Kiss has recorded a lot of songs from the same period, like a 2-CD set of the songs of Balint Balassa. He's a mesmerizing performer. This is an early recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NXjf9taPX4 |
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25 Apr 15 - 06:57 AM (#3704031) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,Blandiver (Astray) Early Music covers everything that requires historic research - medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical are all covered! I doubt the term covers Sting and The Amazing Blondel, though they've obviously been affected by it, as many Pop artists have down the years - Gentle Giant, Gryphon, Third Ear Band, etc. - all gave just stirring medieval tinged pop music, but, although very much a product of its time & ultimately a key to a particular zeitgeist (i.e. the early 1970s) is it not Early Music per se. |
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25 Apr 15 - 10:04 AM (#3704061) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: Jack Campin Sting covered some Dowland songs. That's early music in anybody's book. He may have been fairly average at it, but opened up a few folks' musical horizons, so good for him. Mediaeval music wasn't affected by the countertenor fad to the same extent as Renaissance music. Eberhard Kummer (very late mediaeval) |
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25 Apr 15 - 10:49 AM (#3704075) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,gillymor La Fontaine - Connie Dover |
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25 Apr 15 - 10:55 AM (#3704081) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker The 1970s prog rock 'early music', plus Donovan's 60's trippy dabblings, and John Renbourn's relatively 'authentic' approach were a key influence in my teenage musical development... More recently Europeans youth is enthusiastically flirting with aspects of early music at the fringes of contemporary heavy metal & 'pagan folk'. I think it's positive that such a carelessly misbegotten popularist music thrives liberated outside the institutions of classical music and higher education academies... Yet is 'real' academic early music capitalising to any extent in order to reach out and become more approachable and accessible to such keenly interested youth...??? When I was curious back in the pre internet age, I had public library and budget price Naxos CDs. Any current series of 'cross over' CDs for beginners to be recommended...??? |
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25 Apr 15 - 11:17 AM (#3704089) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,gillymor Stella Splendens |
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25 Apr 15 - 11:43 AM (#3704095) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker I've just remembered... "Les Witches" were a group I stumbled across on the internet some 5 years or so ago, but I've no idea where they fit in or how seriously they are regarded by 'experts'...??? |
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25 Apr 15 - 11:53 AM (#3704097) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,Grishka A counter-tenor voice is obviously an advantage for vocal parts written for that range (in relation to the accompaniment) but with lyrics suggestive of a male narrator. (Besides, there is not much non-"early" repertoire suitable for counter-tenors. Well, the "late" Bee Gees may qualify.) Female singers make for slightly less "realism" - but then, that music is so highly artificial that it scarcely matters. Male voices singing an octave lower may cause problems, though, since that corrupts the musical architecture of many tunes with elaborate accompaniment. |
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25 Apr 15 - 11:54 AM (#3704098) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: GUEST,blandiver in preston Once upon a time you had the Mediaeval Modernism of Atrium Musicae, The Clemencic Consort and even Peter Maxwell Davies and the Fires of London. To me these guys were the business. It's soul lives on in the work Jordi Savall & his superb Alia Vox label. Sting is no more Early Music than some classical guy playing Police songs on his piano is Pop Music. Some nice stuff on Naxos - Oni Wytars and that scene are doing some serious shit. Belinda Sykes is amazing. Bit slick for my tastes but tasty! |
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25 Apr 15 - 12:19 PM (#3704102) Subject: RE: Early music singers From: Megan L |