William Byrd - Complete Fantasias for Organ (Jangoo Chapkhana)

Information

Composer: William Byrd

1. Fantasia in G Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 28, No. 63)
2. Fantasia in C Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 27, No. 26)
3. Fantasia in C Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 27, No. 27)
4. Fantasia in G Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 55, No. 55)
5. Fantasia in G Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 28, No. 62)
6. Fantasia in C Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 27, No. 25)
7. Fantasia in A Minor (Musica Britannica Vol. 27, No. 13)
8. Fantasia in D Minor (Musica Britannica Vol. 28, No. 46)
9. Ut re mi fa sol la in G Major (Musica Britannica Vol. 28, No. 64)

Jangoo Chapkhana, organ

Date: 2025

Label: Brilliant Classics

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William Byrd (c.1540–1623) was an English composer of late Renaissance music. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native England and on the continent. On his death, he was reported in the records of the Chapel Royal as ‘father of Music’. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard (the so-called Virginalist school), and consort music.

Unlike the more formal structures of his contemporaries, Byrd’s Organ Fantasias exhibit freedom and fluidity, often moving between contrasting sections that vary in texture, tempo, and mood. This variety allows the pieces to shift from reflective, meditative passages to lively, rhythmic episodes, creating a dynamic and engaging listening experience. Byrd's use of dissonance, chromaticism, and unusual harmonies gives his fantasias a unique emotional depth, setting them apart from other keyboard works of the time.

Jangoo Chapkhana is an organist and harpsichordist of international standing, as well as an orchestral conductor. His career highlights include organ recitals in Westminster Abbey (London), St Mary The Virgin (New York City) and two recitals in Washington National Cathedral (USA).

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