Freddie James – William Byrd in Italy An Imagined Journey (2026)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:05:10 minutes | 1,24 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Passacaille

Far from being an insular figure, William Byrd was in touch with European, especially Italian musical currents. This programme presents England’s greatest Renaissance composer through an Italian prism, placing his keyboard works alongside Italian music he might have known, been influenced by, or influenced. Works by Claudio Veggio, Girolamo Frescobaldi, and dances from Italian and English sources shed light on Byrd’s fantasias, pavans, galliards and variation sets, works which display a striking mixture of learned counterpoint, harmonic daring, keyboard virtuosity and irrepressible dance energy. Performed on historic Italian instruments, the Venetian Renaissance organ in Valvasone and a harpsichord after Alessandro Trasuntino, Byrd’s music appears not as that of an isolated English master, but rather in lively dialogue with the wider European, especially Italian Renaissance.

Tracklist:

1-1. Freddie James – Praeludium & Fantasia, FVB 100, 52: I. Praeludium to ye Fancie (01:03)
1-2. Freddie James – Praeludium & Fantasia, FVB 100, 52: II. Fantasia (08:55)
1-3. Freddie James – Toccate e partite d’intavolatura, Libro 1: Corrente Seconda, F 2.18 (01:08)
1-4. Freddie James – Qui passe for my Lady Nevell, MB 19 (04:19)
1-5. Freddie James – Recercada per b quadro del primo tono (06:16)
1-6. Freddie James – A Fancie, BK 46 (05:05)
1-7. Freddie James – Dublin Virginal Manuscript : Gentil Madonna (01:18)
1-8. Freddie James – Toccate e partite d’intavolatura, Libro 2: Gagliarda prima, F 3.27 (00:49)
1-9. Freddie James – Dublin Virginal Manuscript: Dance in G (00:28)
1-10. Freddie James – Dublin Virginal Manuscript: Dance in C (00:28)
1-11. Freddie James – Coranto, MB 45 (01:03)
1-12. Freddie James – Castell’Arquato, Archivio della Chiesa collegiata: Saltarello (01:28)
1-13. Freddie James – Ut re mi fa sol la, MB 64 (08:50)
1-14. Freddie James – Il primo libro di toccate d’intavolatura : Balletto e Ciaccona on G, F 2.32 (01:16)
1-15. Freddie James – Capricci: No. 1, Capriccio sopra Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, F 4.01 (09:24)
1-16. Freddie James – Intabolature Nova di Balli: Passamezzo antico 1-3 (01:39)
1-17. Freddie James – The Nynth Pavian and Galliarde, the Passinge Mesures, MB 2a: I. Pavian (06:46)
1-18. Freddie James – The Nynth Pavian and Galliarde, the Passinge Mesures, MB 2b: II. The Galliarde (04:54)

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