Search - Tirami Su/Headley: dir...... :: Awake, O North Wind: German Music from Schütz to Buxtehude

A real pleasure

Michael Rigsby | Madison, CT USA | 09/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so seventeenth century German music is really my thing, and I know this isn't a universal sentiment, but this recording should appeal to the novice and afficianado alike. There are a few familiar pieces by Weckmann, Schmelzer, and Schutz, but a lot of others I am encountering for the first time including the inventive "Da mihi, Domine" and "An Wasserflussen Babylon" by Franz Tunder and an utterly charming setting by Buxtehude of "Liebbster, meine Seele saget" for two sopranos. Erin Headley has assembled a fine group of performers, known collectively as Tirami Su - an odd but appetizing name for an early music ensemble. The vocal soloists may not be the last word in tonal beauty, but they more than make up for it with accurate, musical, and intelligent performances. All in all, a great pleasure. I hope to hear more from this group."

Excellent

Joseph T. Madawela | New York, NY USA | 04/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Other than for the Music of Heinrich Schutz, I was only dimly aware of german composers before Bach or Telemann. Then I was fortunate to hear Buxtehude's "Membra Jesu Nostri" and from that I became aware of Tunder and the other german composers. This is an excellent CD and the other reviewer is correct. This would be an ideal starting off point for those who want to explore pre-Baroque German music. I especially loved the first selection on the CD. A Piece by Franz Tunder called "Da mihi, Domine" and the seventh selection on this cd,"Wie liegt die Stadt so wuste". This is most moving especially so as it was composed by Matthias Weckmann 1n 1655 after the virtual decimation of the population in Hamburg after the plague.The ensemble, "Tirami Su" led by Erin Headley is Excellent as is the soprano Laurie Reviol and the bass Harry Van der Kamp is also truly amazing and very dramatic."