For most North Americans, and probably for the rest of the world as well, life in late-16th century England has been hopelessly romanticized, so it’s hard to accurately imagine the contextual reality of musical and dramatic performances in a world that could select from the works of living masters such as Shakespeare and William Byrd. Nevertheless, we would like to believe that performing styles for music and drama, and the instruments and theatrical stages on which these performances occurred, fit the mold we have so carefully constructed in our films and on recordings.
One thing we know, and it’s confirmed by this monumental and critically important set of recordings, is that artistic standards of that time and place never have been surpassed or, in some cases, equaled. And it’s hard to believe that any Elizabethan England listener–including Byrd himself–would be less than ecstatic with this meticulously researched, musically informed, impeccably performed, and masterfully recorded collection of keyboard pieces. Detailed notes on matters concerning tuning and pitch, types of instruments, acoustics, and on what is known about music and performance during Byrd’s time add even more value to our listening experience. The performances become exceptionally vivid due to Davitt Moroney’s use of a half dozen different instruments, from clavichord, harpsichord, and organ, to an interesting off-center keyboard instrument known as a muselar virginal. And the instruments, all painstakingly copied from authentic models, really come alive, owing much to the vibrant, natural sound.
Are the performances “authentic”? If that’s the issue, then let’s say they are as close as a 20th-century performer could come to what a late 16th-century listener would have heard. No one knows more about the instruments and keyboard styles of Byrd’s time than Moroney, who also lends to each of these 127 individual pieces the immeasurable and magical benefits of experience: more than 30 years “living with and loving” Byrd’s music, and 15 spent planning these recordings. The benefit to us is having all of these pieces under one roof: more than eight hours of entertainment, and at the special offer of seven discs for the price of five.
