"Piffaro the Renaissance Band": Los Ministriles in the New World – Piffaro the Renaissance Band, artistic dir.: Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken – Navona

by John Sunier | Sep 3, 2012 | Classical CD Reviews

“Piffaro the Renaissance Band”: Los Ministriles in the New World – Piffaro the Renaissance Band, artistic direction Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken – Navona Records NV5875, 69:19 [6/26/12] (Distr. by Naxos) ****½:
Although this CD takes longer to get properly underway and goes through a few dull patches (thus the docking of half a star), it turns out to be a brilliant piece of Renaissance in the New World kind of fife and drumery, cooing and sighing that have made Piffaro renowned and will make audiophiles proud they of their system.
The concept for this CD: Spanish music in the New World during the 16th and 17th centuries, is as always with Piffaro a useful excuse for putting together a wide variety of attractive short pieces that provide the musicians opportunity to show their dazzling skills.
And the bracing, crystal-clear sound: A third of the 30 tracks would make a formidable playlist for demonstrating state of the recordings (in this case made at the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts at Drew University in Madison, NJ). My favorites: 2, 7, 10, 11, 14, 20 (recalling Marty Feldman’s horn calls at the end of Young Frankenstein), 25 (wonderful bagpipes), 27 and 28 (spectacular castanets).
The Philadelphia-based ensemble, in business since 1980 as the self-described “pied pipers of Early Music,” has turned out sensational recordings on many labels Most notably Dorian and DG/Archiv which remain touchstones for vivid, accurate instrumental sounds, crisper than the Harmonia Mundi France models.
Additional program notes are provided within the disc’s enhanced content, which of course you need your computer to access.
PlayList:

1. Tane Gil du tamborino (3:30)

2. Folias gallegas, for guitar (1:35)

3. Diferencias for organ sobre el canto “llano de Cavallero” (2:34)

4. Diferencia Sobre “La Gallarda Milanesa” for organ (1:23)

5. La Dama le demanda (3:21)

6. Recercada quarta: Recercada No. 4 “La gamba” (1:39)

7. Un Sarao de la Chacona (1:58)

8. Nina, con tus libres modos (2:09)

9. Sale la blanca aurora (1:39)

10. Ay, Ay, Ay (1:56)

11. Elegit Eum Dominus (2:11)

12. Ego enim accepi (Sanctissimae Eucharistiae Sacramentum) (2:51)