Four Temperaments

Four distinct musical personalities—or ‘temperaments'—are represented: the dissonant Robert Parsons, the cool Ferrabosco the Elder, the warm and sanguine Thomas Tallis, and the polar opposites of ecstasy and melancholy of William Byrd. BBC Radio 3's Andrew McGregor said of this recording of the Mass for four voices played on viols alone: ‘For stylistic insight and subtlety … ironically one of the most satisfying performances of Byrd's Mass.'

BKD487  72 minutes 7 seconds
‘The players’ contribution to the painting and mixing of humours is outstanding. They bring to life the importance of the viol consort in Elizabethan society, in teaching as well as entertainment for ...