Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Mon, Jun 18 2012, 5:57PM
I have recently become very interested in listening to music from the 17th and early 18th centuries, after some Monteverdi madrigals got me hooked. The more I listen to, the more exciting music there seems to be, from the Italian madrigals to Handel's operas, but I am very much aware that as a musically uneducated listener my exploration of this field is fairly random and serendipitous. Can anyone recommend a good source of information on music of the period (book, website or whatever) which would help me explore in a more organised fashion?
Tue, Jun 19 2012, 10:16AM
#2
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Thanks very much, that looks very useful!
Tue, Jun 19 2012, 9:23PM
#3
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Hello Richard, like you I have a strong interest in the music of that time and I have found a few sources of information that might be of use. This site, which concentrates on every aspect of Bach's cantatas, is a terrific resource: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/. For information about new releases this site is useful: http://www.classicalacarte.net/. There are a couple of Dutch radio stations that provide a continuous flow of early music: http://www.rnw.nl/english/radioprogramme/millennium-music and http://www.concertzender.nl/ and this book is a useful primer on sacred music through the ages: http://www.associatededitions.ie/?wpsc-product=gloria-%E2%80%93-an-introduction-to-1000-years-of-european-sacred-music . Tim Thurston, who wrote that book, also presents an excellent radio programme: http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/gloria/ .
Hi Arbutus. Thank you for listing those sites. I checked them out earlier in the day. One question (which you might not be able to answer): I tried clicking on a recent program of "Gloria" and wasn't able to listen to it. I don't know if that might have anything to do with where I live (in the States) or if I'm doing something wrong. Can you listen to past programs of it? Or do you just listen live? Perhaps it has something to do with copyrights restrictions? I can though, by comaparison, listen to BBC R3 programs on their "listen again" iPlayer (for up to 7 days). Any suggestions?
By the way, there is also a radio program on in the US called "Sunday Morning Baroque" which one can listen to up for up to seven days. The website is:
Best wishes,
Petra
Tue, Jun 19 2012, 10:20PM
#4
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Hello Petra, You should, I think, be able to listen to past Gloria programmes regardless of where you live. If you try clicking on the "Music played on Gloria" tab it will bring up a list of recent programmes and if you select one you will, I hope, be able to hear the broadcast. Let me know how you get on. Your link worked perfectly, thanks for that.
Tue, Jun 19 2012, 11:33PM
#5
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Richard, you may explore the following labels for purchasing or downloading their products:
Accent, Alia Vox, Arcana, Coro, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, DG Archiv, Glossa, Harmonia Mundi (a good part of its catalogue), Hyperion (likewise), Naive (a good portion of its catalogue too), Naxos (in its immense catalogue, you may find an enormous amount of Renaissance and Baroque Music), Signum (there is a considerable number of brilliant CDs of Choral Baroque and Renaissance Music), Tactus, Teldec and Zig-Zag (a good chunk of Baroque too).
If you need more labels, there are still plenty, but, perhaps, less substantive.
Parla
Wed, Jun 20 2012, 7:35PM
#6
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Hello Petra, You should, I think, be able to listen to past Gloria programmes regardless of where you live. If you try clicking on the "Music played on Gloria" tab it will bring up a list of recent programmes and if you select one you will, I hope, be able to hear the broadcast. Let me know how you get on. Your link worked perfectly, thanks for that.
Arbutus,
After a bit more "playing around" on the RTE site, I managed to figure out how to do it! I ran into problems when I clicked on the "Listen to the Latest Show" (about midway down on the right hand side). When I did that the iplayer came up but said something like "Sorry, No program could be found"; however, when I then clicked on the play button on the iPlayer, it pulled up various programs of "Gloria" which were currently available to listen to (it seems that they keep the past 28 days worth of programs available to listen to--or for at least some of the radio programs). So thank you! :-) I'm currently listening to a bit of the latest program after a hot day spent working out in my vegetable garden.
Best wishes,
Petra
p.s. And to Richard, hope that you have fun on your explorations too!
Fri, Jun 22 2012, 1:16PM
#7
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Thanks Arbutus and Parla for your suggestions. Although the Radio Netherlands site seems to have closed its broadcasting service, there are plenty of other avenues, some of which I have begun to explore. I am a bit wary of downloading material as you don't always get the sleevenotes included, so missing information on the music's context. Also, with vocal music, I feel I need the words (and translations!). The Hyperion site is excellent for this, providing PDF's of artwork and text, even if you don't buy the music. Another good source I have found is trawling through BBC Radio 3 podcasts of "composer of the week", very informative talks with musical examples, at http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio3
Another, somewhat random, way to explore the music is to search YouTube - there are several people regularly uploading videos of baroque music, with some amazing perfomances (and some really awful!)
Fri, Jun 22 2012, 6:47PM
#8
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Richard and Arbutus,
RE RNW...oh, no!! I had looked at and listened to a bit of their older early music programs and then when I read your post Richard, I checked it out further. What a shame! I hope that they are able to find some further funding. In the US, I believe that 90% of the money that is used to run NPR (National Public Radio) stations is raised from listeners. I'm sorry to hear that the Netherlands might have to go that route (I wondered if they tried?)? What a sad, sad, thing.
Anyway, just in case you missed it, I also listed a program available to listen to over the net (I hear it on my local NPR radio station Sunday mornings). One can listen to that week's program for about 7 days. The site is:
There are also some early music shows that I listen to on occassion with Catherine Bott (I believe?) which one can also do the listen again for 7 days following the broadcast. It's a fun combo of history of the times and what was going on musically and I find it quite enjoyable and informative.
And, like you, I also enjoy the "Composer of the Week" programs and try and catch those when possible.
Best wishes,
Petra
Thanks Arbutus and Parla for your suggestions. Although the Radio Netherlands site seems to have closed its broadcasting service, there are plenty of other avenues, some of which I have begun to explore. I am a bit wary of downloading material as you don't always get the sleevenotes included, so missing information on the music's context. Also, with vocal music, I feel I need the words (and translations!). The Hyperion site is excellent for this, providing PDF's of artwork and text, even if you don't buy the music. Another good source I have found is trawling through BBC Radio 3 podcasts of "composer of the week", very informative talks with musical examples, at http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio3
Another, somewhat random, way to explore the music is to search YouTube - there are several people regularly uploading videos of baroque music, with some amazing perfomances (and some really awful!)
Wed, Jul 11 2012, 9:45PM
#9
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Here's the link to a hidden jewel of a website called "Early Music FAQ": http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/. Despite the "medieval" in the link, they cover roughly 1000-1750 AD (medieval, renaissance, and baroque). There's an abundance of good information on the three periods in general, particular phenomena of the period (such as the rise of "abstract instrumental music" in the 16th century), individual composers, and a huge number of selected (and often very hard to find) recordings with links to online vendors. Be warned, the site can be very difficult to navigate, with some of the best information hidden off the main track -- look especially for additional recordings listed at the bottom of most of the individual CD writeups. Also, it can be a serious money-pit. I don't want to tell you how much money I've spent on their recommendations, but I will say they've never steered me wrong.
Wed, Jul 11 2012, 10:27PM
#10
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Here's the link to a hidden jewel of a website called "Early Music FAQ": http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/.
Thanks for mentioning that site Mussessein. I've stumbled across it in the past and yes it is a very helpful and nice site. I need to bookmark it, so as to remember that it exists and where to find it! :-)
Best wishes,
Petra
Wed, Jul 11 2012, 11:21PM
#11
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
The site you mentioned, mussessein, is interesting but only as a reference,not the reference.
I noticed in the chapter "Performer Discographies" the conspicuous absence of huge names like Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Frans Bruggen, the Kuijkens, among others. In the composers chapter, there are similar cases too.
Parla
Fri, Jul 13 2012, 9:32PM
#12
RE: Exploring renaissance and baroque music
Parla -- The site is rather haphazard. Their depth of coverage in the Medieval period especially is better than several books I've read on the subject, and the Renaissance gets a thorough going-over. Their treatment of the Baroque is rather perfunctory, I admit. For Medieval and Renaissance recordings, I've found them to be indispensable. But certainly, it's not "the" reference.
Hello Richard, like you I have a strong interest in the music of that time and I have found a few sources of information that might be of use. This site, which concentrates on every aspect of Bach's cantatas, is a terrific resource: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/. For information about new releases this site is useful: http://www.classicalacarte.net/. There are a couple of Dutch radio stations that provide a continuous flow of early music: http://www.rnw.nl/english/radioprogramme/millennium-music and http://www.concertzender.nl/ and this book is a useful primer on sacred music through the ages: http://www.associatededitions.ie/?wpsc-product=gloria-%E2%80%93-an-introduction-to-1000-years-of-european-sacred-music . Tim Thurston, who wrote that book, also presents an excellent radio programme: http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/gloria/ .