Albertus Bryne: keyboard music

Charlston, T. (2007) Albertus Bryne: keyboard music. [Audio]

Abstract

Keyboard music by Albertus Bryne (c.1621-1668) and other composers performed by Terence Charlston. Liner notes also by Terence Charlston. Albertus Bryne was the leading composer of harpsichord music before Locke and one of the earliest English composers to organise his dances into suites by key. With the exception of music specifically for the organ, the majority of Bryne’s pieces would have been played on any keyboard instrument which the player had to hand, be it harpsichord, organ or clavichord. Here, Terence Charlston performs on the organ, single manual harpsichord and spinet to give an authentic and insightful performance of Bryne’s works. To place Bryne’s music in context, this disc also includes Bull’s famous G major Prelude and two anonymous pieces from an early Bryne source. Bull’s prelude is one of the most widely disseminated pieces in the repertoire. The CD concludes with three voluntaries or verses by Christopher Gibbons, second son of the legendary Orlando Gibbons, which Bryne may well have heard his predecessor play at Westminster Abbey. They are typical of Restoration organ music for a single organ (i.e. to be played on one keyboard) and are close in style to Bryne’s own voluntary.

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