Though the organ is usually and understandably associated with sacred music, this anthology of secular, dance-inspired music reveals the importance of the instrument in a courtly context. Many well-appointed royal and aristocratic court chambers had their own chamber organs, often richly decorated, sometimes portable, so that they could be moved from one room of the palace to another. Francesco Cera takes us on a journey around these 16th-century courts, including Venice, Parma, Vienna and London, with lively variation-sets on popular tunes and transcriptions of popular songs from the time: music that was good for dancing for dining to, or simply ‘music for a while’.
Works:
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anon.: My Lady Careys Dompe
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Aston, H: A Hornepype
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Cabezón, A: Diferencias sobre canto del Cavallero
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Cabezón, A: Diferencias sobre la Gallarda Milanesa
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Scheidemann: Galliarda in D minor