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One of the best of all recordings of William Byrd

Sator | Sydney, Australia | 07/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"William Byrd is regarded by many as the greatest composer England has ever produced, as a kind of musical Shakespeare. He was certainly one of the greatest of the composers of the Seconda Prattica from around the period of the Reformation and Counter Reformation.



The collection of consort music here is simply superb. Pieces like 'John Kiss Me Now' remind us of the fact that variation form began in England around this time. All of the performances are as good as any I have yet to hear of Byrd's music and Naxos clearly scored something of a coup when managing to sign up this group for a recording like this. This would be equally highly recommendable for three times the price. Just look at the list of performers and you will even find Tesser Bonner of the Tallis Scholars listed here. Needless to say she sings beautifully too.



Perhaps my very favourite aspect of this recording is the fact that period pronounciation is used. While some may feel this to be pedantic, the rather quaint and rustic sounding Tudor English pronouciation in my mind only enhances the characterfulness of the pieces. I must say it puzzles me why even the likes of Emma Kirky insists on using modern English pronouciation when singing Byrd.



This is a hugely enjoyable CD and for the price it is a genuine steal that enhances the image of Naxos as a company dedicated to quality music making, that puts the giant multinational recording cooporations to utter shame. For that Naxos deserve our accolade and support."

One of my favorites

L. Stanley | Minnesota, USA | 11/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD has a mixture of pieces that would have been performed in a domestic setting, from secular/devotional songs to verse anthems, virginal music and viol consort. Many of the vocal pieces are found in Byrd's "Songs of Sundry Natures." I particularly enjoyed the verse anthems 'Have Mercy Upon Me, O God' and especially 'Christ Rising Again' which is probably the finest recording of that well-known anthem that I've ever heard. Red Byrd captures the domestic nature of these pieces, which is nothing like the typical ethereal cathedral boy soprano/Tallis Scholars type of performance that you would normally hear. They have a very earthy sound and the viol consort plays quite energetically. I also am a big fan of historical pronunciation which they use. And of course I can never get enough of Caroline Trevor's fantastic alto voice. As a result, I've bought every Red Byrd CD I can get my hands on. Do yourself a favor and pick up this bargain CD."