Masters before J.S Bach

[OboeKing]

Does anybody have any favourite composers before the time of J.S Bach? For me it would have to be either Pachelbel or Purcell, they both wrote some gorgeous piano and organ pieces that I really enjoy playing, and, even though Pachelbel's canon is ridiculously overplayed, I never ever tire of listening to it.

Regards,
Michael

[Peter]

It is an area that I regrettably do not know enough of to have favourites - I like Monteverdi and recently I have been listening to Palestrina who I adore!

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

I like Pachelbel's canon as well and never tire of hearing it. I also have to agree with Monteverdi. I have some of his pieces. Also I like Telemann especially his instrumental music a lot although he was at the time of Bach so maybe he doesn't count in regard to your question. I really enjoy Tomaso Albinoni. I have a lot of his works but again around the same time as Bach. On my classical radio station every Sunday morning for three hours they play only Baroque music, Bach etc. and pre-Bach, which I enjoy a lot!

Joy

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited April 12, 2003).]

[lysander]

When we met, my dear husband introduced me to Claudio Monteverdi and wonderful Palestrina!
We also love listening to Thomas Tallis,
Lassus, Fayrfax, Gluck, and Charpentier.

I also enjoy listening to Russian Liturgical Chants.

[Gurn Blanston]

Being a fiddle fan, I am quite pleased with Biber and also Matteis, whose "Ayres for the Violin" is really interesting.
Regards, Gurn

[mspaceray]

I adore Purcell and while the poetry he set to music was often really awfull the music is divine.

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Joy:
I like Pachelbel's canon as well and never tire of hearing it. I also have to agree with Monteverdi. I have some of his pieces. Also I like Telemann especially his instrumental music a lot although he was at the time of Bach so maybe he doesn't count in regard to your question. I really enjoy Tomaso Albinoni. I have a lot of his works but again around the same time as Bach. On my classical radio station every Sunday morning for three hours they play only Baroque music, Bach etc. and pre-Bach, which I enjoy a lot!

Joy

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited April 12, 2003).]

You should listen to other works of Pachelbel! I don't recall what I've heard of his, but it seems that I was favorably impressed. Sweelink has had my ear, as well, and I've particularly liked Josquin des Prez. (Whatever his name is supposed be!)

[orpheus]

Originally posted by Sorrano:

You should listen to other works of Pachelbel! I don't recall what I've heard of his, but it seems that I was favorably impressed. Sweelink has had my ear, as well, and I've particularly liked Josquin des Prez. (Whatever his name is supposed be!)

I agree, I like the netherlanders: Ockeghem, Obrecht and of course Josquin is awesome. Also the 14th cen composer Machaut is incredible. Machaut is the first REAL composer in the term we understand it today: in that he was the first to regard composition/music as an art form for posterity.

Sweelink, as far as I know, turned out not to be a baroque composer but a 20th century composer!!! It was a musicologist who played a hoax on the world by pretending to discover this baroque guy, when actually he was writing the music himself! Does anyone know if I am right about this?

[Cocchini]

I really enjoy all of those wonderful works by "Anon"!

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by orpheus:
I agree, I like the netherlanders: Ockeghem, Obrecht and of course Josquin is awesome. Also the 14th cen composer Machaut is incredible. Machaut is the first REAL composer in the term we understand it today: in that he was the first to regard composition/music as an art form for posterity.

Sweelink, as far as I know, turned out not to be a baroque composer but a 20th century composer!!! It was a musicologist who played a hoax on the world by pretending to discover this baroque guy, when actually he was writing the music himself! Does anyone know if I am right about this?

I'd long forgot about Ockeghem. I'll have to check out his music again. In regards to Sweelink, I have not heard this before, but rather, a collegue of mine had given his life some study. I will check that out.

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by orpheus:

Sweelink, as far as I know, turned out not to be a baroque composer but a 20th century composer!!! It was a musicologist who played a hoax on the world by pretending to discover this baroque guy, when actually he was writing the music himself! Does anyone know if I am right about this?

In checking biographical information on Internet sites there is no mention found of a hoax but rather some detailed information regarding his birth and death (including a picture sketched of him). I am lead to think there is nothing to the hoax story.

[Troels]

Originally posted by OboeKing:
Does anybody have any favourite composers before the time of J.S Bach?

Lassus first of all. Actually he is my favourite composer. (Yep, above Beethoven!)

And then Monteverdi, Purcell, Gesualdo, Schütz, Dowland, Tallis, Hildegard, Byrd in no particular order.

[Joy]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
[B]
You should listen to other works of Pachelbel! I don't recall what I've heard of his, but it seems that I was favorably impressed.

B]

I should really! I do enjoy some of his instrumental suites. Any recommendations?

Joy

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Joy:
I should really! I do enjoy some of his instrumental suites. Any recommendations?

Joy

I wish I could remember more of what I heard. Incidently, my first experience with Pachelbel was not with the famous canon, but with some other work. At this point I can't remember anything specific. Sorry.

[Gurn Blanston]

Originally posted by orpheus:

Sweelink, as far as I know, turned out not to be a baroque composer but a 20th century composer!!! It was a musicologist who played a hoax on the world by pretending to discover this baroque guy, when actually he was writing the music himself! Does anyone know if I am right about this?

No, I looked around and found nothing but references to him which appear authentic. I do know, however, that one of my favorite 20th century fiddlers, Kreisler to be exact, delighted in "finding" pieces that he actually composed himself. You can hear one of them if you listen to Gil Shaham's 4 Seasons CD on DG, it is called now "Concerto for Violin in the Style of Vivaldi" by Kreisler, but it masqueraded succesfully for years as an authentic Vivaldi concerto. This was not Kreisler's only practical joke in this manner, I have heard that he did this many times, and always successfully fooled the "connoisseurs" of his time. My kind of guy!
Regards, Gurn