The English Virginals: EMS 6 August

[doversoul1]

Harpsichordist Sophie Yates visits Westwood Manor in Wiltshire to look at a recently restored 1538 ottavino virginals and discusses the history of the instrument, which had cult-like status in Elizabethan and Jacobean society

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0902h80

Sounds good!

[MickyD]

It certainly does, and anything recorded by Sophie Yates is always worth a listen. Thanks ds, I would have missed this one!

[Constantbee]

Highly recommended . Just a note to any teachers or students listening:. 'The Fall of the Leafe' from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Collection appears in the Trinity College Grade 6 piano syllabus - valid for about another year. Doesn't sound its best on modern pianos. Also, the ornaments are difficult to interpret and a bit tricky. This programme is incredibly helpful - and a real treat, of course.

[Dave2002]

I need to download and listen to this again - I just caught the last few minutes. It was interesting to note the very different sound from a harpsichord, and I came at this without any significant preconceptions having just switched the car radio on - "oh - it's harpsichord music ..... no .... doesn't sound like a harpsichord ..... it must be something else .... " so when eventually the speaker came on I was quite pleased to note that my hunches were correct. Now I need to find out what makes these sound different - probably the different dimensions and resonances.

[Richard Tarleton]

Highly recommended .

Most enjoyable.

OT, looking through Ms Yates's CDs on Amazon, the cover of her "La Sophie - Popular Harpsichord Music of the 18th C" is a bit, erm, cheeky - I hope they make it clear that is not her on the cover

[MickyD]

What a nice programme. Christopher Hogwood's complete recording of William Byrd's 'My Ladye Nevell's Booke' is very good, with many pieces played on a rich sounding virginal - 'The Battell' is particularly exciting, with buzzing and percussive effects.

[Richard Tarleton]

What a nice programme. Christopher Hogwood's complete recording of William Byrd's 'My Ladye Nevell's Booke' is very good, with many pieces played on a rich sounding virginal - 'The Battell' is particularly exciting, with buzzing and percussive effects.

I was scanning through Ms Yates's CDs to see if she had a selection from the Fitzwilliam VB played on virginals - any suggestions here Micky? I have the Naxos My Lady Nevell's Booke by Elizabeth Farr, played on 4 different harpsichords......

[MickyD]

I was scanning through Ms Yates's CDs to see if she had a selection from the Fitzwilliam VB played on virginals - any suggestions here Micky? I have the Naxos My Lady Nevell's Booke by Elizabeth Farr, played on 4 different harpsichords......

Richard - I'm not sure if Sophie Yates has anything from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book on her discs, but if you are looking for a good selection from it, this 2 CD set was re-released a few years back. It's Chris Hogwood again in an excellent anthology he made on period virginals, organ and harpsichord for the Folio Society - and can be had for around £7 here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fitzwilliam-Virginal-Book-John-Bull/dp/B00DPH7Q2K/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1502129809&sr=1-1&keywords=fitzwilliam+virginal+book

Hope this helps.

[Richard Tarleton]

Excellent, thank you Micky - duly ordered!

[MickyD]

You're welcome, Richard! I understand the original LP release was nominated for a Gramophone award back in the 80s. In the booklet of the CD release, you also get Christopher Hogwood's thoughts about the recording some years on. I'm very grateful to Eloquence for unearthing these vintage treasures.

[doversoul1]

Excellent, thank you Micky - duly ordered!

Here too. 10.75 + 1.50 for pp from Presto Classical

As for the programme, it's absolutely fascinating.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks dover - I've gone for a second-hand copy for less than that, something I feel increasingly confident doing after good experiences!

[Richard Tarleton]

Vintage treasures indeed. The vintage CD jewel cases containing my second hand copies fell apart in my hands on arrival, but the CDs are in good order, and it was the work of a moment to find another case.

I'm addicted to variations or divisions on Elizabethan (and earlier) popular tunes that every composer of the time produced. CH in his notes says "Variation, both as dance and form, demonstrates Byrd at his greatest, and the set of sixteen variations on the tune John come kiss me now...are constructed in his most mature and subtle manner". I hadn't heard this before, although I know the Anonymous set of variations on the tune beloved of lutenists, eg Lindberg and North. I have a guitar transcription which I stumble through, waggling my left hand little finger hopefully at all the ornamentation. Byrd himself wrote two sets of divisions on Who will walk the woods so wilde, one for keyboard and one for lute, the former appearing in My Lady Nevell's booke (along with several others - Walsingham, All in a Garden Grine and the saucy Carman's Whistle).

[Dave2002]

I notice that some of the EMS programmes are available as podcasts, but this seems to be very selective. At present the podcasts don't show this programme on virginals as available - which is a shame. I'll have to deal with this before it disappears from the iPlayer.

[Dave2002]

According to the back end announcement from the iPlayer/schedule presentation this programme should be available as a podcast - by following the link from the EMS home page. It isn't - not yet anyway - as far as I can see.

There doesn't seem to be any great logic as to which programmes are available as podcasts, and which not. I thought it might be due to rights issues in the recordings, but the programme about Handel's Water Music is available, and that contains many examples of commercial recordings - though I'm not sure if they have been cut out in the podcast version.