Parthenia Recordings

Parthenia's most recent re-release "Within the Labyrinth" follows a single contemplative path through Renaissance and Baroque music for viols. The ensemble draws on the labyrinth as a guiding metaphor, exploring the contemplative, soothing, and spiritual dimensions of the repertoire. The program ranges from the simple canon of Browning Madame and the mesmerizing variations of Hugh Ashton’s Maske to the intricate rhythms of Ut re mi fa sol la, the stylized dances of Byrd and Farina, and the playful counterpoint of Canzona La Merula.

New chamber works for renaissance viol consort, all written for and premiered by Parthenia over the past decade, by three outstanding women composers – Kristin Norderval, Tawnie Olson, and Frances White. Featured guest artists are bass-baritone Dashon Burton (Room Full of Teeth), soprano Kristin Norderval (Pomerium, Ensemble Pi), and narrator Valeria Vasilevski (NPR, Android Sisters). These compositions create a rich tapestry of stories, ranging from a song cycle for soprano, viols and electronics exploring Elizabethan political intrigue and paranoia through the words of Queen Elizabeth I, to a poignant fairytale about isolation and unexpected friendship between a girl and a bird; from a powerfully resonant depiction of Christ on the cross, to a meditative electronic-enhanced reflection on a chant by abbess Hildegard von Bingen.

Hauntingly beautiful music of Scotland and England from the 1500s for viol consort and voice performed by Parthenia, Grammy-nominated tenor/countertenor Ryland Angel and early keyboard expert Dongsok Shin. This rarely performed or recorded repertoire is music that Mary Queen of Scots and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, and their friends, enemies and subjects might have heard. Also featured on the CD is a new song-cycle, SONGS OF LOVE AND BETRAYAL, by composer Richard Einhorn - stunning arrangements of four songs by Scottish poet and lyricist,Robert Burns.

Following a long-treasured tradition of music for Christmas, the viols of Parthenia join famed soprano Julianne Baird to present a sparkling array of songs, dances and carols from Elizabethan England. Along with music by Thomas Morley, Anthony Holborne, Thomas Ravenscroft, Dr. John Bull and Tobias Hume, this disc features a wide variety of music by the celebrated master composer of England's Golden Age, William Byrd.

"Julianne Baird scarcely needs an introduction as an unsurpassed mistress of late Renaissance and Baroque music... Parthenia is equally accomplished, spinning out its instrumental lines with caressingly soft, silvery tone and polished ensemble playing." --Fanfare

French Renaissance songs and dances marked by grace, balance and a wonderful sense of lightness, featuring song settings of the poetry of Pierre de Ronsard by such composers as Claude le Jeune, Guillaume Costeley, Claude Goudimel, Eustache du Caurroy and others. Parthenia is joined by renowned soprano Julianne Baird and Renaissance violinist Robert Mealy.

"... a 'must have' for a serious collector of renaissance music." - American Record Guide

About A Reliquary for William Blake

American composer Will Ayton's love of folk music, Elizabethan poetry, his Celtic heritage, his devotion to the art of polyphony, his love of old legends, and things philosophical and spiritual all shine through in this mesmerizing CD, featuring the song cycle, "A Reliquary for William Blake," composed for Parthenia in 2005. Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Montano's purity of tone, both as singer and as narrator in the prose passages, makes her an ideal interpreter.

"Possibly the most aesthetically cohesive setting of Blake's poetry and prose to music yet. For sheer consistency and elegance of tone. . .nothing equals A Reliquary for William Blake. . .composed by the American Will Ayton and performed with passionate delicacy by the viol consort Parthenia and the mezzo-soprano Alexandra Montano." – World Magazine

"The exquisite music on this CD and the equally fine rendition of it by Alexandra Montano and her colleagues in Parthenia have produced an aural feast for the music lover... Recommended - and highly - for far more music lovers than just the early music crowd." --Fanfare

Randy Sandke's use of a string section comprised of viols, as well as his always trenchant writing and commanding trumpet technique, breathes new life into the "jazz-with-strings" concept. Sandke's influences and interests encompass Beiderbecke, Armstrong, metatonal music and everything in between. This collection of ballads and other atmospheric pieces is certainly easy to listen to but is far from "easy listening."