Search - Henry VIII - King of England, Michael Valentin, Theo Stemmler :: Henry VIII: If Love Now Reigned (His Music - His Love Letters to Ann Boleyn) - Isaak Ensemble Heidelberg / Theo Stemmler

The Cultured Henry

Irene Rheinwald | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 12/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Henry VIII, unfortunately, is often perceived as a bloated, irascible boor, with the table manners of starved dog. Overlooked is the athletic and refined young Henry, the idealistic romantic. These songs pay tribute to king as courtier, composer and musician, ranging from instrumentals to sighing expressions of courtly love. Of particular note are the Boleyn love letters, which curiously ended up in the Vatican. Unfortunately, none of the Queen's letters to her husband survive (the authenticity of the 'Tower' letter is in doubt).



Rather than performing "Chapel Royal" music, this CD focusses on Henry's own works, which show surprising talent. He sang countertenor (odd for such an imposing figure), and played flute, viol, virginal, and lute; no wonder he found Anne Boleyn, herself an accomplished musician and composer, a perfect counterpart. Some selections are Henry's adaptations of contemporary works, but most are original: one can imagine the couple performing and laughing together on intimate evenings.



The love letters are fascinating. As in the vocals, pronunciation approximates sixteenth century English. Notwithstanding the German accent, I still noticed some small flaws: the 'r's are not fully rolled on the tongue, nor are vowels consistently emphasized (early modern English was more phonetic than modern). I also noted unusual French pronunciations, although I suspect the differences were more obvious than is apparent here. Small quibble -- at least it's not modern!



This is a fascinating CD, both in terms of listening pleasure and historical interest.



"

Wonderful

Bilbo Baggins | Red Sox Nation | 12/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you love Tudor court music, this is THE CD. I bought mine 13 years ago. A friend heard it and liked it, so I thought I'd see if it was still in print. It will make a sweet gift."