-
As an extension to the sacred madrigals, I recommend Schein’s work “Banchetto Musicale” from 1617, in contrast to “Israelsbrünnlein,” entirely secular, namely as table music with dance pieces, not vocal in nature, but purely instrumental. Of the total 20 orchestra suites, 4 are presented in the suggested recording (Nos. 16, 2, 56, and 20), each consisting of 5 movements (4 tracks): a Pavan, a slow processional dance followed by its corresponding Galliard, a spirited dance, then a Courante as the middle movement, followed by a pair of dances, namely a (faster) Allemande and a concluding “Tripla,” which picks up the theme of the Allemande and elaborates it in triple meter. Thus, the entire work is perceptibly entertaining from its outer form.
-
A recommended recording is by the renowned ensemble Hesperion XX, led by the equally renowned Jordi Savall, specifically their rendition of the double-CD “A Musical Banquet” released in 2002 on Virgin Veritas (Erato/Warner), a reissue of three LPs from 1983 and 1978 from the highly esteemed EMI series Reflexe - Stations of European Music. On YouTube, you can search for “banchetto musicale” from the appearing list, selecting the result “Schein - Banchetto Musicale/Scheidt - Ludi Musici” with 50 announced tracks (“View Complete Playlist”). This leads to the so far scarcely accessed YouTube address YouTube Playlist with, as announced, 50 individual tracks, which can then be played through in sequence after selecting “Play All.” The first 17 tracks bring the aforementioned four dance suites and, in addition, a piece from “Cymbalum Sionium” (1615) by Schein.
-
The following 16 tracks then offer a selection of orchestral pieces from the third of the great trio of early Central German Baroque composers, Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654), namely from his “Ludi musici” (1621). Here, too, there are largely entertaining dance pieces, often personal adaptations and variations by Scheidt of standard themes of the time.
-
The last 17 tracks present selected Canzonas (Canzoni da sonare) from the period 1597 - 1615 by the Italian precursors or contemporaries Andrea Gabrieli (1510-1586), Giovanni Gabrieli (1555-1612), and Giuseppe Guami (circa 1540-1611), marking the Venetian basis of early Central German musical Baroque. Here, too, there are orchestral pieces suitable for singing and dancing to musical motifs largely regarded as standards of the time; although the compositions by Guami and the Gabrielis are somewhat older than those presented by Schein and Scheidt, they sometimes appear a bit more antiquated. Noteworthy is the diligent use of brass and cornetts, well known for Venice and especially for the Gabrielis, which greatly contribute to the lively and festive character (cf. e.g., No. 47, Canzon XXVII).
-
With a total of 50 pieces in over 150 minutes featuring different tempos and rhythms, one can imagine that it won’t be dull, especially since the clear orchestration with original instruments provides a wide range of different sounds. Since both the music itself and the recording are excellent - I regularly use the CD album - the hitherto low number of views is likely due to the cumbersome addressing and possibly the dauntingly high number of individual tracks.