Track Listing

1. Kyrie I
2. Rachell's Weepinge
3. Langdans efter Byfans Mats
4. Lachrymae Antiqua
5. Psalom
6. Two Studies On Ancient Greek Scales: 1. Olympos' Pentatonic - 2. Archytas' Enharmonic
7. Long-Ge
8. Totem Ancestor
9. Kyrie II
10. Brudmarsch fra Osta
11. Using The Apostate Tyrant As His Tool
12. Synchrony No.2
13. Quodlibet
14. Viderunt Omnes
15. Kyrie III
16. Four Part Fantasia No. 2
17. O Virtus Sapientie
18. Uleg-Khem
19. Farwell My Good I. Forever
20. Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief
21. Requiem Mass: Bells: Tolling Of The Knell

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77974 in Music
• Released on: 1997-09-16
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com essential recording
Don't get too comfortable with this disc's opening minutes, which sound convincingly like a well-tuned consort of viols performing two short pieces by Machaut and Tye. These two works from the 14th and 16th centuries quickly give way to a piece from 1997 by David Lamb. Then come Arvo Part, Harry Partch, John Cage, and even Moondog, a.k.a. Louis Hardin. Additional instruments come and go- -harmonium, bagpipe, zhong ruan, nyckelharpa, drum--all of which complement and enhance the string sounds. Later, we hear music by Hildegard von Bingen, Perotin, and even Purcell. Most of the selections from early composers are arrangements by the Kronos Quartet and others, but it's a tribute to the recording's producers that in spite of the music's diversity, everything works together to make a coherent, cohesive, intellectually, and musically challenging program. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews

Inaccurate Title
I'm sure the music is very splendid, but being a fan and researcher of Early music (encompassing the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods), I must stress the inaccuracy of this cd's title. John Cage and Arvo Part are twentieth century composers who have been influenced by music of the past, but THEY DID NOT COMPOSE EARLY MUSIC...so why does the group name the CD this?

If you're going to name your album "Early Music," stick with early music.

one of their best
If you like simple, string quartet music as much as I do, then you've got to listen to this. It is a generous 68 minutes of plaintive music--no discontinuities and surpises like on their Black Angels recording. It is all slow and mournful.

I loved this CD!
When I was listening to MSN I came across it. I love Early Music and they had a Radio station that was playing it. I decided to listen to it. So as I was lisitening to it I came across the song Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief. That is the besty song I ever heard in a long time. I like the other songs but this one really spoke to me. It was quite moving if I might say.