To listen to the 1970s recordings of David Munrow and his Early Music Consort of London is to realize how pivotal they were in transforming early music from an academic specialty into a living performance tradition. The performances are based on thorough academic research, but they are varied, vital, and enthusiastic, meant for concert audiences rather than academic meetings. And the Early Music Consort of London roster is packed with future stars.This two-CD set offers the complete contents of what was originally a double ...
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To listen to the 1970s recordings of David Munrow and his Early Music Consort of London is to realize how pivotal they were in transforming early music from an academic specialty into a living performance tradition. The performances are based on thorough academic research, but they are varied, vital, and enthusiastic, meant for concert audiences rather than academic meetings. And the Early Music Consort of London roster is packed with future stars.This two-CD set offers the complete contents of what was originally a double Munrow LP, The Art of the Recorder, plus the first half (the Middle Ages half) of another double LP, Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Renaissance half is available as part of a different CD reissue, Music from the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Splitting up the Instruments album is a strange choice. Intended to accompany a book about the history of musical instruments, it contained dozens of tiny little pieces, each illustrating a different instrument (bagpipes,...
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