BIRDS ON FIRE

17th century Jewish Music for Viols

 

Orlando GOUGH Birds on Fire [1]

Salamone ROSSI Hashkivénu

Pieces from the Lumley Part Books:

Desperada, Pavana, Gallyard, Seconda Desperada

Albert KELLIM, of Venice? Pavin & Gallyard of Albarti

Terza Desperada Leonora

DUARTE Two Sinfonias in 5 parts:

No.5, No.6, Octave toni (sopra Sol mi fa la sol)

Thomas LUPO Fantasia in 6 parts No.1

Orlando GOUGH Birds on Fire [2]

Phillip van WILDER Fantasia con pause e senza pause

Thomas LUPO Pavan in 3 parts No.26, Fantasia [Air] in 4 parts

No.5, Fantasia in 6 parts No.9

Augustine BASSANO Pavan & Galliard No.1: Pavan, Galliard

Hieronymus BASSANO Fantasia no.1

Joseph LUPO Pavana a 5

Thomas LUPO Fantasia in 6 parts Nos. 4 & 11

Orlando GOUGH Birds on Fire [3]

Salamone ROSSI Shir hamma'alót [Psalm 128]

 

Fretwork with Jeremy Avis (cantor)

 

"Birds on Fire, inspired by Aharon Appelfeld's 1980 novel "Badenheim 1939," ... gives the viols a haunting, drone-like energy, at once melancholic and driven." The Observer

 

"Fretwork play with a gorgeous simplicity of expression and deep musicality" The Independent

 

In this fascinating new recording, Fretwork: "the finest viol consort on the planet", London Evening Standard, illustrates the genuinely cosmopolitan atmosphere which prevailed at the English court of Tudor and Stuart monarchs.

 

Although the unconverted Jews had been banished from the Kingdom since 1290, England's musical life between 1550 and 1650 was virtually monopolised by the crypto-Jewish dynasties of the Bassano and Lupo families of composers and performers.Adding a contemporary echo, the programme includes the first recording of Birds on Fire by Orlando Gough (born 1953). One of UK's most important composers for ballet, dance and theatre projects, here Gough found his inspiration in the work of klezmer musicians and in part based his piece on traditional tunes known as 'Kandel's Hora' and 'Odessa Bulgarish'. Performing on Renaissance and Elizabethan instruments, the members of Fretwork are joined by cantor Jeremy Avis for a pair of Hebrew liturgical settings penned by Salvatore Rossi (d. 1630). Orlando Gough (b.1953) was a founder member of the bands The Lost Jockey and Man Jumping. He writes music mostly for the theatre - operas, plays, dance pieces, music-theatre and directs The Shout, an extraordinary choir of diverse soloists.

 

Recent work includes The Singing River, for 12 choirs, 18 boats, two cranes and a locomotive (Theater der Welt, Stuttgart), The Most Beautiful Man From The Sea (Welsh National Opera),We Turned On The Light (Proms), Critical Mass (Almeida Opera Festival), One,Two for six pairs of identical twins (Dartington Plus).

 

He is working on pieces for the Brighton Festival, Stavanger2008, the Royal Opera House and Linz09.

 

Since its London debut in 1986, the viol ensemble Fretwork has become established both as a leading force in early music and an inspiration to contemporary composers; its repertoire spans the entire English consort tradition, including songs and verse anthems, alongside music from 16th and 17th-century Europe, as well as new works written  specially for the consort. Fretwork performs and broadcasts regularly in the UK and has toured widely in many countries. It now records

exclusively for harmonia mundi usa.

 

Harmonia Mundi HMU907478