Search - Piffaro, The Renaissance Band :: Flemish Feast

Piffaro Delivers Again

Thomas B Dawkins | 03/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like their other CDs, Piffaro's "Flemish Feast" is well-programmed, whimsical, and exquisitely performed. I personally find the first part of this CD a little heavy on the bagpipe, although others enjoy this a great deal. The lute and harp selections with and without recorder stand out as being particularly well-done. Having performed a concert of Flemish music in the not-so-distant past, I can address one possible comment: "Why are there FOUR tracks called 'T'andernaken'?" These are actually only three of a possible hundred or two. T'andernaken was a very popular ground or cantus firmus to use in Flanders at this time, and everyone had a go at it, including King Henry VIII. The recorder selections are organ-like, as usual, and the shawm/sackbut/dulcian (or "loud band") numbers are festive. Another wonderful selection from a great group."

Piffaro offers a wild romp through Flemish popular music!

Brianna Neal | USA | 11/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Instrumental music sounded in every corner of Flanders during the Renaissance," writes American scholar Keith Polk in the program notes. "... in any Flemish celebration or ritual, instruments and instrumental music were an indispensable element." If the period musicians were anything like the enthusiastic members of Piffaro, one can see why. The selections on this CD are a bit livelier than those on the group's earlier releases, evoking images of warm and boisterous feasts amongst revelers both high and low. Accompanied by hurdy gurdy, lutes, guitar and percussion, Piffaro's families of matched reed and brass instruments produce a distinctive and strident sound, mellowed by the continuity of breath pressure that is needed to play them, and tempered by the considerable skill of the performers. All in all, a feast for the ears! Other good, rousing feasting music can be found on the CD "A La Via: Street Music from the 13th to the 16th Centuries" by Ensemble Anonymous and Strada, and the Toronto Consort's "The Little Barley-Corne: Winter Revels from the Renaissance"."

Shawms, Crumhorns, Sackbuts, Bagpipes, Lutes, & More!

Craig Matteson | Ann Arbor, MI | 07/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You do NOT, repeat, do NOT need to be an expert on renaissance music to thoroughly enjoy this disk. The musicians show off the beauty of this music and have selected a very nice program.I remember when I first heard wind music from this period performed and the reedy sound of the shawms and crumhorns and bagpipes and wonderful sound of the sackbuts. It became clear to me why old pipe organs sound like they do - this was the sound in the ears of the culture. Of course, this band performs this band shows off this music exceptionally well with their wonderful playing.Also, there is an exceptionally nice booklet that accompanies this disk with photographs of the instrument families used in this disk as well as great notes about the group and the music recorded here.The group has several other disks that you can obtain to extend your enjoyment of this music."