Music of the Polish Renaissance (2007)

This modest project, Direct-to-Tape's Music of the Polish Renaissance, is helmed by a heavy hitter in early music; Andrew Kirkman, erstwhile leader of the Binchois Consort. Kirkman teaches at Rutgers, and leading the 16-voice Rutgers Collegium Musicum forms part of what would be for Kirkman his "day job." As so much of the musical spoils of the renaissance are divvied up between Italian, English, and Franco-Flemish composers, one might be a little surprised to see that Poland also has a part to play in it. But after all, ... Read More

This modest project, Direct-to-Tape's Music of the Polish Renaissance, is helmed by a heavy hitter in early music; Andrew Kirkman, erstwhile leader of the Binchois Consort. Kirkman teaches at Rutgers, and leading the 16-voice Rutgers Collegium Musicum forms part of what would be for Kirkman his "day job." As so much of the musical spoils of the renaissance are divvied up between Italian, English, and Franco-Flemish composers, one might be a little surprised to see that Poland also has a part to play in it. But after all, the Renaissance was also the age of Nicolaus Copernicus, who taught at Krakow University, not far from the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow -- pictured on the front cover -- where most of this music was first performed. Featured composer Bartlomiej Pekiel lived long after the time of Copernicus, being the most prominent musician in Poland in the middle Baroque. Nevertheless, his music is only Baroque by virtue of the era in which it was written and is Renaissance in every other way; witness... Read Less