music Shakespeare heard: The Carmans Whistle by William Byrd

[HermanBerntzen]

Ernst Stolz, is there a Harpsichord youre playing? Where did you get it?

Regards,

[tamarexxe]

i LOVE the idea of this... music that shakespeare heard.  Was this not the very summit of mans understanding? How far we have fallen.

[ernststolz]

thank you

[NihilTico]

I wish I could be as cool as Ernst, but alas, I am not!

[ernststolz]

who says

[wwslattery]

Ahhh! Byrd's Barogue ballads for Bill the Bard!

[ockseejun]

co za asy...



[rustydog1236]

Love the sonnet: It's FULL of doubles entendres!

[ernststolz]

indeed I agree

[tribalwarriorgirl]

i smoked marijuana one time, and i started hearing this kind of music in my head. i never did it again.

[ernststolz]

perhaps the reincarnation effect?

[tribalwarriorgirl]

@ernststolz what is that? reincarnation effect?

[TheStatue1]

I wish someone would sample the virginal's sound and make it available on CD-ROM..

[TheStatue1]

I've always liked the virginal sound. Anyone know what temperament is being used on this piece?

[iambadatusermanes]

thankyou so much for uploading!!! i really needed this for a school assessment

[daasvand]

nice sound! I still haven't done anything with my fortepiano, looks rectangular.  I hope to get it done by spring. Keep up the excellent work you do with the instruments and all, you are building them?? Thank you

Robert

[ernststolz]

no I don't build, I only maintain them (in style)

[C6H12B26]

The song from where it comes is so "bawdy" ! I play one of the lute versions by John Johnson. Very beautiful piece deftly played, indeed ! Great thanks !

[liquid310]

What's funny is that I searched this video for a school project, and I see all of these intelligent comments. Nice to have a change sometimes. :)

[DAKPLAT]

so the most beautiful virginal, greetings from Mexico, thank u...!

[ernststolz]

Thank you!

[lilythepink123]

Beautiful! I can't get enough of this music. Amazing how relatively complicated the harmonies were already then.

[ernststolz]

Thanks!

[metyuewb]

@lilythepink123 yeah, just because it was long ago doesn't mean people were stupid

[metyuewb]

@lilythepink123 yeah, just because it was long ago doesn't mean people were stupid

[brendan1994ca]

What do you think of performing this music on the piano? I have the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, and I play from it, but a lot of the pieces don't seem to work well on the piano.

[ernststolz]

I like it more on an original instrument, but on a good piano, one can play everything.

[brendan1994ca]

Thanks for the answer. It's really enlightening to you hear you play this on the virginal, and will definitely be of help as a guide to how to get the most out of this music with a piano. It's a beautiful instrument; a work of art from which comes another work of art.

[baroqueboy]

If you're interested, I just posted about half of the carman's whistle variations played on my old upright piano.  It didn't work out so well, but I tried.

[ernststolz]

very well done, sounds great actually!

[baroqueboy]

Oh, thank you so much! When I go back to school this month I'll have to try to film myself playing the whole thing on a nice renaissance-sounding Italian harpsichord. I think it might be just a LITTLE better ;) It really didn't come out that well on my piano, but if I had a better piano it might have been okay. My piano feels very uneven in touch because it has to be regulated and voiced, and some hammers need to be replaced, especially the E above middle C, which is a problem in this piece!

[Jtking3000]

i like the rhyming title and the catchy tune :-D

[ernststolz]

Yes, I like it too!

[daasvand]

These are one of my favourite early keyboard instruments to play. I love W. Byrd

[ernststolz]

He is great indeed!

[donnyab]

really nice and pleasant and hypnotic too

[ernststolz]

Thanks!

[SuhachiChutchen]

Do your virginals, spinnets, clavichords, and harpsichords require frequent maintainances?

[ernststolz]

Yes tuning, but the rest not so often

[fnersch]

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful playing on that exquisite muselar. Someday I want to acquire one.

[rossella1805]

WONDERFUL!!!

[ernststolz]

Thanks!

[SuhachiChutchen]

Well, I got that Booke already, how did you got that Shakespearean costume or clothing? I like it! =D

[Hyardacil]

Can I get or buy this sheet music from somewhere?

It would be really great to play these, but I don't have good enough hearing.

[Hyardacil]

Ah! Sorry for my laziness! Seems that you've already answered that question.

[SuhachiChutchen]

My favorite composer is also Byrd! ^^

May I know what's the title of this and how to get the music sheet? Thanks :)

[ernststolz]

Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Dover publications

[GenSmilesx3]

Awesome.

This will help me on a project!

Thanks a lot!

[ernststolz]

That must be an interesting project!

[GenSmilesx3]

it is actually;

me and my friends flimed us doinq a lemon curd tart, and then i edited it and im gunna use msuci and stuff. so yeahh . it was funn [;

[ernststolz]

That sounds very tasteful

[marsvltor2]

Gorgeous stuff. Byrd's variation pieces are some of his finest. Lovely instrument.

Would love to hear some Gibbons also!

Once again, thank you so much for posting.

[Alinewich]

Really beautiful!! I would like to know if is it possible to find this sheet and other ones of the same type/period? Could you indicate it to me, please? Thank you!

[ernststolz]

Thanks, My lady Nevells Book is published by Dover. (Try the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book also)

[ellenlinn7]

Bravo! Your articulation is excellent!

[ernststolz]

Thank you!

[drovdrov]

Beautiful Music! Wonderfully played and recorded. Would you educated me, what sort of harpsichord is this specifically, I mean, is it a clavichord, spinet etc. I'm a novice and have read there are many variants. Thank you in advance.

[ernststolz]

Thanks; this is a Flemish Virginal (after Rückers ca. 1590)

[burdinus]

In 1981, I was rummaging through a resale shop and found a beat-up copy of My Lady Neville's Book. Needless to say, I grabbed it - The Carman's Whistle has always been my favorite composition from the book.

Beautifully done, ernststolz, thank you!

[ernststolz]

Thanks, (but I also liked "the Battell" always very much).

[Serge808]

cool!

[joeXeffingXcocker]

Absoulutly Beautiful. brought a tear to my eye.

[ernststolz]

Thanks for appreciating!

[Mattexmo]

I have this as a favourite and on my play list.

Thank you.

[firebreathone2]

I see the connexion between the sonnet and this beautiful piece of music. well done. and a good choice!

[ernststolz]

Thanks! (I will read the sonnet again)

[teddybeargreasestain]

@firebreathone2 The sonnet and this piece actually have no real connection to one an other... The Carman's Whistle is a variation on a popular tune of the time. The sonnet by Shakespeare is just about a woman playing the virginal (the contemporary English name for a small harpsichord).

[AnnieRV007]

Absolutely beautiful.

[ernststolz]

Thanks

[NihilNominis]

Your multilingual responses, as much as your playing, never cease to amaze me!

[ernststolz]

That cheers me up, thanks!

[wolkowy1]

Great! Wonderful playing! Thanks for uploading.

[ernststolz]

always nice to hear or read such words!

[JuandrezBog08]

Bravo! Apacible obra, bellísima interpretación, sonido espléndido... Gracias.

[ernststolz]

gracias también!

[clydesight]

Very beautiful! I like how the video shows the keys being played, especially the closeups. These old instruments had a lot of mechanical noise that combined with the music to make a very interesting and delightful sound. A modern synthesizer just can't do it! And the pictures of the people bring us to that time in our imagination! THANK YOU!

[ernststolz]

thanks for your nice comment

[Ymelops]

Atemberaubend!

[mwvh1]

Könntest Du uns bitte schreiben: Welche Stimmung hast Du benutzt und kannst Du etwas über Deine Aufnahmetechnik mitteilen (welches Mikro, Videokamera?). Die Entfernung zum Mikrofon scheint klein zu sein (die Tastaturgeräusche sind recht laut).

[ernststolz]

Dieses Instrument ist meistens mitteltönig temperiert. Ich glaube dass ich es nur mit der Kamera aufgenommen habe. (Eine Panasonic) Leider ist das schon zu lange her, es genau mitzuteilen.

[GaleoDeus]

Man those keys look tiny!

This is just about the strongest and best sounding virginal I've ever heard. Is there anything specific about this instrument I'm hearing?

[ernststolz]

yes the keys are quite small and very light, so it is not at all easy to play on. One specific detail, is that the plectra are very short

[NorbertZF]

Excellently played! Thank you!

[dimitlamoukat]

bravo et merci pour ce petit voyage dans l'angletterre victorienne

[ernststolz]

merci, très sympathique

[lightmeter123]

thank you so much for posting those jewels

[Gealach74]

very nice song! its really beautiful!

thanks

[ernststolz]

you're welcome!

[eancais]

Oh, excellent! I love the sound.

[sandyhackney]

Wonderful!  Good notes and love those cuffs.

[ernststolz]

Thanks! Those cuffs are an exclusive creation, I have to say.

[Trinitrotolaissance]

Nicely played, well done! Did my upload from a while ago inspire you to start working on this piece?

[ernststolz]

of course I adore Christopher Hogwood, but this piece I already play for several decades and it was on my "to do" list to record.

thanks for listening!

[ernststolz]

Hello Val, glad you like it; of course I now wait for your lute version!

[Luthval]

Beautiful tune. There is also a lute version (but very difficult to play...)

Thanks !

V.