The Windham Hill: The Renaissance Album

The Windham Hill: The Renaissance Album

Track Listings

 
1. Three Italian Dances - Renaissance Piffaro
2. Si Je Perdais Mon Ami - The Angels of Venice
3. Villanelle - George Winston
4. Petit Riense/Rostiboli - Ex Umbris
5. Regina Cadi - Tracy Silverman, Thea Suits-Silverman
6. How Sweet the Torment - Lisa Lynne
7. Branles de Village - John Doan
8. Fantasia #27 - Ensemble De' Medici
9. Silver Swan - Tim Story
10. When Laura Smiles/It Was a Lover and His Lasse - Barry Phillips, Shelley Phillips
11. Pieds-En l'Aire - Liz Story
12. Buffons - Baltimore Consort
13. Domine Ad Adjuvandum - David Arkenstone
14. O Vos Omnes - Barry Stramp
15. If My Complaints Coul Passions Move - Keola Beamer
16. Fantasia - Michael Hedges
17. My Thing Is My Own - Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson

The Windham Hill: The Renaissance Album,Various Artists,Windham Hill Records,90's,Adult Alternative,Adult Contemporary,Album Rock,Ambient,Arena Rock,Celtic Fusion,Chamber Jazz,Classical Music,Contemporary Instrumental,Crossover Jazz,Electro-Acoustic,Ethnic Fusion,Fusion,Hard Rock,Neo-Classical,New Acoustic,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Post-Bop,Progressive Electronic,Solo Instrumental,Space,Worldbeat


The Renaissance Album (Windham Hill)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • If you're looking to "try" some Ancient Music, this CD is great
  • A delightful surprise
  • A lovely combination of old and new!
  • Hearty and Pleasant
  • A fine introduction to early music
The Renaissance Album (Windham Hill)
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

AmbientAmbient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
New AgeNew Age | Celtic | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Smooth JazzSmooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Celtic New AgeCeltic New Age | New Age | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
MeditationMeditation | New Age | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Compilations | New Age | Styles | Music
Solo InstrumentalSolo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
1990s1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Arena RockArena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Space RockSpace Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
1990-19991990-1999 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ElectronicElectronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
GeneralGeneral | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
GeneralGeneral | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection
  2. Windham Hill Classics: Harvest
  3. Come, Gentle Night: Music of Shakespeare's World
  4. English Renaissance Music
  5. Thanksgiving: A Windham Hill Collection

ASIN: B000006NMT
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

  1. Three Italian Dances - Piffaro The Renaissance Band
  2. Si Je Perdais Mon Ami - George Winston
  3. Villanelle - Ex Umbris
  4. Petit Riense - Rostiboli - Tracy Silverman
  5. Regina Cadi - Lisa Lynne
  6. How Sweet The Torment - Lisa Lynne
  7. Branles de Village - John Doan
  8. Fantasia #27 - Ensemble De Medici
  9. The Silver Swan - Tim Story
  10. When Laura Smiles - It Was A Lover And His Lasse - Shelley Phillips
  11. Pieds En L'Aire - Liz Story
  12. Les Buffons - Baltimore Consort
  13. Domine Ad Adjuvandum - David Arkenstone
  14. O Vos Omnes - Barry Stramp
  15. If My Complaints Could Passions Move - Keola Beamer
  16. Fantasia - Michael Hedges
  17. My Thing Is My Own - Nancy Wilson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars If you're looking to "try" some Ancient Music, this CD is great.......2005-12-04

If you're just "getting into" Renaissance, Ancient, or Celtic music, you should add this one to your collection. It was one of the first I bought, and I still listen to it frequently. One of my very favorites is "Si Je Perdais Mon Ami" by George Winston...it's the haunting theme-music to the great Masterpiece Theatre "Elizabeth R" starring Glenda Jackson. And of course the bawdy final song about remaining chaste ("My Thing is My Own" by Nancy Wilson) is terrific. All in all, it is a CD with great variety and quality and it will "spur you on to" more Ancient/Celtic/Renaissance music, helping you "decide what you like" so you can start building your collection.

4 out of 5 stars A delightful surprise.......2004-12-07

I had a few qualms about picking this one up. Being a Windham Hill release, I was wondering if I was going get a lot of synthesized New Age mush. But this is a wonderful album. Some of the pieces are played pretty straight on traditional instruments, while others stretch the boundaries (Hawaiian guitar, Peruvian flutes). Even when a synthesizer makes an occasional appearance, it doesn't intrude. Although purists may disagree, the performers very much capture the spirit of Renaissance music.

Among the highlights are the previously mentioned piece using Native American and Indian flutes, "O Vos Omnes", by Barry Stramp; the Hawaiian guitar piece, "If My Complaints Could Passions Move"; George Winston playing guitar instead of his usual piano on the French "Villanelle"; and the late Michael Hedges's "Fantasia", which gets a slightly harsh, jazz-rock feel which actually works.

There are only two vocal numbers. David Arkenstone and his wife provide some absolutely stunning vocal harmonies to Claudio Monteverdi's devotional prayer "Domine ad Adjuvandum". The concluding track, the baudy "My Thing is My Own", is arguably the weakest thing here. Performed by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the vocal melody is a bit outside of Ann's singing range. But it's fun.

A relaxing, entertaining CD recommended for everyone.

5 out of 5 stars A lovely combination of old and new!.......2003-05-26

When I first saw this CD in the New Age rack of a local bookstore, I thought it had been mis-filed from the Classical section. Then I took a look at the combination of modern and early music performers listed in the credits and realized I had discovered something delightfully new. For centuries musicians have been drawing inspiration from Renaissance and medieval music, reinventing it to suit their own eras. And today, ensembles seeking to authentically recreate early music sometimes choose to stretch their boundaries as well, exercising their own creativity and appealing to modern sensibilities. So why not combine the two on one recording? Windham Hill's "Renaissance Album" brings together "straight" early music offerings from esteemed groups like Piffaro and the Baltimore Consort with whimsically inventive modern interpretations from New Age artists like the Angels of Venice, Lisa Lynne, Liz Story and David and Diane Arkenstone. The selections fit quite well together, weaving a tapestry across the centuries that is quaint, courtly, delicate and at times lively and even humorous. Lovers of both ends of the spectrum will find something to enjoy here, and will have a chance to discover a variety of artists whose work they may wish to explore further. If you enjoy Windham Hill's "Rennaissance Album", you may also like another of their compilation albums, "Celtic Christmas 3"; not necessarily either Christmassy or Celtic in tone, it nonetheless features some of the same artists as "The Renaissance Album", and in some ways sets a similar tone.

5 out of 5 stars Hearty and Pleasant.......2003-01-14

I listen to this CD at work A LOT! It seems to transport me to another time and place. The music is light and upbeat. There is a wonderful vocal that concludes the CD by Ann Wilson from Heart. Simply awesome!

5 out of 5 stars A fine introduction to early music.......2002-08-08

Fans of any kind of music or literature often have an evangelical bent. "Come on! Just try this one little bit of theater of the absurd/Captain Beefheart/cyberpunk/whatever..." we say to people. I'm that way about early music. In the old days, there was an inexpensive vinyl compilation that I'd always urge on people as an introduction to early music.

With this CD I think I've found a more recent replacement for that vinyl disc. It has some very well-known names in the early music field (e.g. Piffaro, the Baltimore Consort), various performers who tend to get the "new age" label, whether they want it or not :), and some people who, with all due respect, one wouldn't at all expect to see on an early music collection, such as Ann and Nancy Wilson, formerly of Heart, or slack key virtuoso Keola Beamer.

If you're hard core about authentic instrumentation, much of this album will set your teeth on edge--but IMHO, all the performers here acquit themselves very well indeed. High points for me were Lisa Lynne's performance of Monteverdi's "Si dolce e'l tormento," Michael Hedge's sprightly take on a de Mudarra fantasia, and Keola Beamer's breathtaking performance of Dowland's "If My Complaints Could Passions Move."

The CD's irritants for me are few: "My Thing Is My Own" is a one-joke song that way overstays its welcome, and the graphic artists at Windham Hill must've been trying to make the insert just as hard to read as they possibly could have!

If you're new to early music, give this CD a try. If you're heavily into it, you'll most likely still enjoy it, and you'll have something you can lend out to spread the habit to your friends--if we get enough people started, we can have the Waverly Consort playing stadiums instead of the latest boy band! :)

Meditation Music:

  1. Thief [Soundtrack]
  2. Tiger's Paw
  3. Touch
  4. Tribility
  5. Up [Import]
  6. Waiting for the Big Rain
  7. Water
  8. Wu Wei
  9. 10 Pebbles
  10. 3 CD Box Set [Import]

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Communicate [Import]

Schubert: Piano Sonatas D959 & D960

Songs for the Journey

Music: After a While

Secret Sins [Import]

Please

Rock Peter Rock [Import]

The Declaration of an Independent

Salegy

Puccini: Tosca (Highlights) / Karajan, Price

Sola & Friends--Live perfomance recording from the 1999 Beijing International Jazz Festival [Live]

Roots [Extra tracks] [Import]

Ready to Party [CD-single]

I Got My Baby

Pots & Pans