ARTA classics

The Court of Queen Elizabeth at London
1. Thomas Morley: Now is the month of maying 0:55
2. John Dowland: I come again 2:08
3. Anonym: I smile to see how you devise 2:13
4. Anonym: Maiden-Lane 1:13
5. Anthony Holborn: Galiarde 1:38
6. Anonym: Grimstock 1:38

   The Court of the French King at Paris

7. Claude Gervaise: Bransle simple 2:01
8. Claude Gervaise: Pavana 1:54
9. Pierre Francisque Caroubel: Bransle gay 1:10
10. Thoinot Arbeau: Bransle l'Official 1:49
11. Claude Gervaise: Bransle X 1:33
12. Anonym: Bouffons 1:45

    Music consorts of the German nobility

13. Erasmus Widmann: Clara 1:49
14. Michael Praetorius: Canarie 1:13
15. Erasmus Widmann: Sophia 1:30
16. Michael Praetorius: Bransle 1:49

    Italian courtly music

17. Mateo Rampolini: Bacco, bacco 1:36
18. Adriano Banchieri: Fantasia 1:34
19. Marco Cara: Io non compro piu speranza 1:46
20. Anonym: La Montagnura 2:22

    Music of the Golden Age in Spain

21. Pedro Escobar: Paséisme aor' allá serrana 1:48
22. Diego de Fernandes: De ser mal casáda 2:26
23. Juan del Enzina: Villancico 2:37
24. Juan del Enzina: Fata la parte 3:12
25. Juan del Enzina: ?Si habrá en este baldrés? 2:27

    Renaissance music in the Bohemian Lands

26. Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi: A lietta vieta 2:11
27. Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi: Baletti umori 1:32
28. Valentin Haussmann: Tanz 1:18
29. Jakob Regnart: Von nothen ist 1:38
30. William Brade: Mascharada 1:26
31. Valentin Haussmann: Tanz und nach tanz 1:28
32. Anonym: Bergamasca 2:03

Eva Kaniakova: viola da braccio, saracen lute, gemshorns, crumhorns
Sarka Langerova-Hulova: viola da braccio, vocal, trumpet marine, scheitholt
Zbynka Solcova: harp, scheitholt, regal, bells, percussion
Mario Mesany: recorders, gemshorns, crumhorns, wind-chest shawm, bladder pipe, hurdy-gurdy, bag-pipe, xylophone
Pavel Polasek: recorders, gemshorns, crumhorns, bombard, wind-chest shawm, bladder pipe, percussion
Libor Zidek: vocal, crumhorns

and guests:
Vera Mikulaskova: viola da gamba
Frantisek Pok: cornett, bag-pipe
Michal Verner: recorders, gemshorns, crumhorns, curtal

The original Rozmberk Consort was active from 1552 to 1602 at the Castle in Cesky Krumlov (Krumau, in German) and then in Trebon, and it contributed to the glory of the south Bohemian court of the brothers Vilem and Petr Vok of Rozmberk from the mid-sixteenth to the early seventeenth centuries.

The modern Rozmberk Consort was founded in 1974 by Frantisek Pok. In the thirty years of its existence a number of excellent musicians have played in the ensemble, it has undergone a change of generations, and has survived even after the departure of its founder and long term artistic director. (Events that have in other cases led to the decline and break-up of exceptionally successful music groups.) At the time of its founding it was unique in the country. Today, as well, when the interpretation of early music has become more widespread, it maintains its uniqueness thanks to its rich experience, enduring contacts with ensembles abroad (made when performing at international early-music festivals), and owing to its high professional standards. These standards stem from the fact that all its members are professional musicians working in major ensembles in Prague (including the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the State Opera, and the Karlin Music Theatre). The players are united by an interest in early music and a willingness to master several now unusual instruments, which in earlier centuries was something taken for granted.
The musical versatility and flexibility both of the individual members and of the ensemble as a whole enable them as interpreters to cover a diverse range of instrumental and vocal music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The range of instruments of the Rozmberk Consort is remarkable, comprising about forty string, wind, keyboard, and percussion instruments. They are used in various combinations to evoke aural pictures of music of different eras. Some of the instruments come from the Pok workshop; others are replicas of historical instruments by specialized makers.
The arrangements of the compositions respect the rules of early-music interpretation. They also put emphasis on timbre, variety, and original emotional effect. They resonate with natural musicality, which is undoubtedly appreciated by listeners today as much as it was five hundred years ago. In this way the Rozmberk Consort has secured for itself the lasting favour of audiences young and old and of different educational backgrounds. Regardless of its success on tours abroad it is just as certain to create an unforgettable atmosphere at an educational concert in some remote corner of the Czech Republic as it is at a renowned international festival. Apart from its own vinyl and CD recordings the ensemble has recorded for European radio stations, including ORF in Austria, WRD, Deutschland Radio Berlin, Radio Nacional de Espana, Greek Radio, and, repeatedly, for Czechoslovak and, later, Czech Radio. Together with Czech Television the Rozmberk Consort has made a few programmes of its own (for example, in the "Best of the Classics" series), and has recorded soundtracks for Czech and foreign films. Touring abroad and performing at festivals has taken the Rozmberk Consort to Greece (1982, 1984, and 1988), Sweden (1987 and 1991), Spain (1995, 1998, and 2001), Malta (1996), Switzerland (1989, 1993, 1995, and 1998), Wales (1996), and Luxembourg (2004).