「ブリタニア音楽の父」として敬愛されるウィリアム・バードの作品をデヴィッド・スキナー率いる合唱団"アラミレ"が演奏したアルバム。前作「BYRD1588」での1588年に出版された《詩篇、ソネット、悲しみと敬虔の歌曲集》の録音(INV1006)が、同曲集初の完全収録として高く評価されましたが、今作ではその翌年に作曲された3声から6声までの歌を全曲演奏しています。作品はアマチュア、プロを問わず、全ての奏者たちのために書かれており、ヴァイオル・コンソート(ヴィオラ・ダ・ガンバのアンサンブル) と、多声部が織りなす精緻な声との組み合わせによるさまざまなテーマを持つ曲を楽しむことができます。デヴィッド・スキナー率いる合唱団"アラミレ"は、15世紀から1930年代までのイギリス教会音楽を演奏&録音するプロジェクトを進めています。共演する"フレットワーク"は35年の歴史を誇り録音も来日公演も数多い、イギリスを代表するヴァイオル・アンサンブルです。
ナクソス・ジャパン

発売・販売元 提供資料 （2023/04/24）

This is the second in a series of Byrd recordings by the vocal ensemble Alamire and the instrumental group Fretwork under the direction of David Skinner. The two recordings, Byrd 1588 and Byrd 1589, cover two books of music published by Byrd in their entireties. Normally this kind of recording can be a bit tedious for the general listener, inasmuch as the music wasnt intended to be performed sequentially in this way; it was issued so that home musicians could pick and choose what they wanted. In this case, however, there is a lot to learn. Byrds 1589 volume Songs of sundrie natures lives up to its name, with secular madrigals and sacred pieces mixed together. The sacred works may be more familiar in choral settings, but Skinner argues that they werent intended for church performance but for small gatherings, much like the secular pieces. This puts a new perspective on the music, showing how madrigalistic ideas showed up in the sacred music. Sample the gathering momentum of Christ rising again, the six-part final work on the album. The sacred works are performed a cappella, while the secular ones are accompanied by various instruments; this seems logical enough, but not all performers do it this way. The performances themselves are very strong, with the solo voices conveying deep expression without breaking out of the necessary homogeneous texture. Many of the works here have not been performed often, Byrd being a composer who is too often represented by a few hits. This album is recommended for anyone interested in delving more deeply into Byrd; it landed on classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023. ~ James Manheim

Rovi