English Renaissance Music

Fantasias, Pavans & Galliards

Music by Bull, Byrd & Gibbons

Performer Gustav Leonhardt
Label Philips 438 153
Playing time 60'
Recording date October 1992

Contents

Composer Title Instruments
Byrd Pavan Tregian & Galliard Harpsichord
My Lady Nevell's Ground
Johnson Alman
Philips Passamezzo Pavana & Galiarda
Morley Fantasia Bull
Bull Duchess of Brunswick's Toy Virginal
Duke of Brunswick's Alman
John Lumley's Pavan & Galliard Harpsichord
Fantasia
Randall Galliard "Can she excuse my wrongs?"
Farnaby A Toye Gibbons
Fantasia
Gibbons Fantasia
Fantasia
Tomkins Pavan & Galliard of 3 parts
Instruments: Harpsichord, Joel Katzman (1987); Virginal, Martin Skowroneck (1967) - tracks 6,7

As always, Leonhardt's performances are definitive in some sense. Although it might seem that the Philips label for this recording would make it easy to obtain, I have not found that to be entirely the case. Nonetheless, it is an important recording, featuring a good representative selection of music in this style.

This music is rather singular. The depth of an entire genre developed and produced over only a few of decades is amazing. Unfortunately, it is equally shocking that the entire school died out completely by the middle of the 17th century.

It was Byrd who presided over this era, and so it was he who was the first great master of the "English Virginalist" school of keyboard composition. He managed to establish this genre out of almost nothing.

Byrd, The Complete Keyboard Music
Davitt Moroney Hyperion 66551/7 (7 CDs)
Go From My Window, Music for the Virginal
Colin Tilney Dorian 90195
The Maydenhead of Musicke, Music for the Virginals from Parthenia
Gary Cooper Dervorguilla 106
English Virginals Music
Sophie Yates Chandos Chaconne 0574
Musick as befitts a Quene, English Virginal Music: 1570-1650
Edward Wild Boar 9102
Parmentier
The Queenes Command, Masterpieces of Elizabethan Keyboard Music
Joseph Payne Bis 539
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Byron Schenkman Centaur 2638
Gibbons, Music for Harpsichord & Virginals
James Johnstone AS&V "Gaudeamus" 191
Doctor Bull's good Night, John Bull: Pièces pour clavier
Pierre Hantaï Astrée 8543