DI GUERRA E DI PACE
Renaissance music for winds and percussion

1 Moritz von Hessen-Kassel (1572-1632): Pavana del povero soldato
2 Pierre Phalèse (c.1505-c.1575): Pavane de la guerre
3 Pierre Phalèse: Gaillarde de la guerre
4 Josquin Desprez (c.1450-1521): Adieu mes amours
5 Adrian Willaert (c.1490-1562): Vecchie letrose
6 Anonymous (16th century): Basse dance 1
7 Tielman Susato (c.1510-c.1570): Entrée du fol
8 Ludwig Senfl (c.1486-c.1543): Im Maien hört man die Hanen kreen
9 Heinrich Isaac (c.1450-1517): La Morra
10 Jean d’Estrées (?-1576): Les Bouffons
11 Pierre Phalèse: Pavana Ferrareze
12 Pierre Phalèse: Gaillarda Ferrareze
13 Ludwig Senfl: Patientia, muss ich han, wohl kann
14 Anonymous (16th century); Die vollen Brüedren
15 Anonymous (16th century): Symphonia nobili sirene organa / In laudem summi Regis
16 Jehan Tabourot (1520-1595): Belle qui tiens ma vie
17 Moritz von Hessen-Kassel: Pastorella
18 Giovanni Ambrosio (c.1420-after 1484): Amoroso
19 Josquin Desprez: Mille Regretz
20 Tielman Susato: Pavane Mille Regretz
21 Moritz von Hessen-Kassel: Pastorella
22 Paul Kugelmann (?-1580): Nichts werders ist
23 Anonymous (15th century): O partita crudele
24 Josquin Desprez: Scaramella
25 Anonymous (16th century): Allemande

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About this CD

Given the prevalence of war in the Europe of the Renaissance it is no real surprise that warlike themes and echoes of battles should find their ways into secular and civic music compositions – or even into religious ones (such as the many L’Homme armé and La Bataille masses of the time). With Di guerra e di pace, La Pifarescha captures the contrast between the roar and rhythms of battle and the celebrations of courtly and popular festivities as would have been performed by an alta cappella ensemble from the Middle Ages through to the dawn of the Baroque: shawms, slide trumpets and sackbuts, plus other wind instruments buttressed by percussion instruments.

The music of well-known composers from the period – Josquin, Isaac, Willaert, Phalèse, Susato and Senfl – is conjured up in virtuosic performances from this Italian ensemble, La Pifarescha, making its first appearance on Glossa (even if its members are regular instrumental contributors to performances and recordings by the likes of Cantica Symphonia or La Venexiana).

This modern journey, creating a Renaissance “soundtrack”, embraces not just war and peace but also the contrast of European and Arabic and Asiatic influences from the times of the Crusades through to civic bands playing for the residents in Renaissance Venice or Bologna. In creating this enjoyable and improvisation-filled entertainment the members of La Pifarescha wear their scholarly knowledge lightly as they play their way from the popular to the erudite and back.