One of the many attractions of this release by the ensemble Concerto Scirocco and its director, Giulia Genini, is simply that the music will be new to most listeners. William Byrd and Anthony Holborne are present at the end, but such composers as John Hilton, John Adson, and William Brade are just about unheard. The music is associated with the masque, a court theatrical genre that was a counterpart to the Italian intermedio , combining music and dance in a sumptuous setting with a large and varied musical ensemble. ...
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One of the many attractions of this release by the ensemble Concerto Scirocco and its director, Giulia Genini, is simply that the music will be new to most listeners. William Byrd and Anthony Holborne are present at the end, but such composers as John Hilton, John Adson, and William Brade are just about unheard. The music is associated with the masque, a court theatrical genre that was a counterpart to the Italian intermedio , combining music and dance in a sumptuous setting with a large and varied musical ensemble. However, the masque had distinctive characteristics, like the opening satirical "anti-masque" that was often present. The Satyrs Masque here is an example of the music for it. The main attraction comprised dances and dance tunes, like the delightful Johney Cock Thy Beaver: A Scotch Tune on a Ground, and more serious pieces like Hugh Ashton's Maske. Liberally sprinkled about are instrumental pieces of various kinds, including pieces by Hilton called Fantazias. These are constantly...
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