Early Music

Early Music

Apple Music Classical

Updated 2 weeks ago

Definitions of what constitutes “early music” vary, but most agree on it as an umbrella term for everything preceding the Baroque era. Plainchant, madrigals, Renaissance, and medieval: What follows is a mix—much of it liturgical or sacred—that celebrates the dawn of classical music as we know it. Our editors regularly update these selections, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

A Galliard

A Due Liuti

2:00

Fantasie Second, VdGS 573

Ricercar Consort, Philippe Pierlot

4:11

Morir non può il mio cuore

His Majestie's Clerkes, Liza Calisesi Maidens

1:55

Quiconques veut d’amours joïr

2:31

V. Agnus Dei I

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Graham Ross

1:58

Ricercare No. 11 (Transcr. for Guitar)

Guillem Perez-Quer

2:52

Volgi gli occhi

The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery

1:47

I. The Earl of Salisbury Pavan

1:35

Corrente quinta

Les Kapsber'girls

1:18

Alemande D'Amours

Alban Tixier

2:04

Tutti. Ecce super montes pedes evangelizantis (I)

Aleksandra Lewandowska, Alex Potter, Stephan MacLeod, Thomas Hobbs, Gli Angeli Genève, Miriam Feuersinger

1:13

Miserere (Transcr. for Lute by Simone Vallerotonda)

Simone Vallerotonda

3:18

O bone et dulcis Domine Jesu

Rory McCleery, The Marian Consort

4:14

No. 12, The King of Denmark's Galliard, P. 40

Jupiter Ensemble, Thomas Dunford

2:36

I. Sicut cervus desiderat

The London Oratory Schola Cantorum, Charles Cole

3:57

I. Pavan

3:25

I. Emendemus in melius a 5

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Graham Ross

3:57

Quoniam tacui

Cappella Amsterdam, Daniel Reuss

4:52

Lachrimae

Brecon Baroque, Rachel Podger

4:02

Si la Noche Haze Escura

Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras, Hespèrion XXI

4:37

Circumdederunt me

Eamonn Dougan, De Profundis

2:23

Responsorium II. Jerusalem, surge

Nigel Short, Tenebrae

3:42

No. 3

3:04

A solis ortus cardine

Choir of New College Oxford, Robert Quinney

9:30

Agnus Dei

LeStrange Viols, New York Polyphony

3:31

A Fancy (Transcr. for Guitar)

Guillem Perez-Quer

3:41

Ab aeterno ordinata sum

Robert Hollingworth, I Fagiolini

6:19

Veneremur Virginem

Le Miroir de Musique, Baptiste Romain

4:05

Magnificat septimi toni, LV 1187 "Recordare Jesu pie"

Magnificat, Philip Cave

9:46

L’autre d’antan

Ratas del viejo Mundo

3:00

Fantasia a 6 in D Minor

Attacca Quartet

3:45

III. Sanctus

Toby Ward, Ensemble Pro Victoria, New Vocal Ensemble

4:16

I. O primavera, gioventù de l’anno

Concerto di Margherita

2:25

No. 1, Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite

Lea Desandre, Jess Dandy, Alex Rosén, Thomas Dunford, Jupiter Ensemble, Laurence Kilsby

4:22

Captaine Digorie Piper his Galliard

Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra, Skip Sempé

2:32

Crudelissima donna

Andrés Montilla, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Sonia Tedla, Monica Piccinini, Roberto Rilievi, Gabriele Lombardi, Concerto Italiano

2:29

Quae est ista

I Fagiolini, Robert Hollingworth

3:04

IV. Sanctus - Benedictus

Graham Ross, Choir of Clare College, Cambridge

3:54

La Gallina (canzon à 2)

Seicento Stravagante

3:07

No. 8, Il sangue a pena havesti, a 5

The Viadana Collective, Maximilien Brisson

2:35

Super flumina Babylonis

Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School

4:55

Laudemus Annam

Cécile Vénien-Gérard, Chœurs de la Maîtrise de Sainte-Anne-d'Auray: Maîtrise

3:46

Verbum caro factum est

2:58

Nunc clericorum contio

Ensemble peregrina

5:02

Fantasía No. 10 de Consonancias y Redobles (Transcr. for Guitar)

Guillem Perez-Quer

2:30

Udite lagrimosi spiriti d’Auverno

Les Kapsber'girls

1:42

Ascendit Christus a5 (secunda pars)

Selene Consort, Daniel Gilchrist

4:41

Angelus ad pastores ait

2:44

Initio tu Domine terram fundasti

Daniel Reuss, Cappella Amsterdam

3:33

Virgo restauratrix

Cappella Mariana, Vojtěch Semerád

1:43

Segunda Susana grosada a 4 sobre a de 5

Fernando Miguel Jalôto

4:43

a. Agnus Dei I

3:46

This is a joyful, happy holy day

Magdalena Consort, William Hunt, His Majesties Sagbutts and Cornetts, Silas Wollston

5:00

O mors, ero mors tua

Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, Ensemble les Surprises

2:02

Tu es Petrus

Andrew Fuchs, Tim Keeler, Jonathan Woody, New York Polyphony

3:10

Antiphon 1. Dum esset rex in accubitu suo – Psalm 109. Dixit Dominus

I Fagiolini, Robert Hollingworth

5:50

A chantar m'er de so qu'eu no volria

Marie-Domitille Murez, Ensemble Apotropaïk, Clément Stagnol, Clémence Niclas, Louise Bouedo

6:02

Hearken, all ye people

Fretwork, William Hunt, Magdalena Consort

4:11

Te Lucis Ante Terminum (I) [Festal Tone]

Ensemble Altera, Christopher Lowrey

2:08

Plaine d'ennuy / Anima mea

Owain Park, The Gesualdo Six

1:43

O malheureuse journée

Utopia Ensemble, Guillaume Olry, Adriaan De Koster, Michaela Riener, Lieven Termont, Bart Uvyn

5:37

Lamento d’Armida. Quando Rinaldo invitto

Anima & Corpo, Gabriele Pro, Carlotta Colombo

4:39

No. 2, Vergine pura che de' raggi ardenti

Cappella Mariana, Vojtěch Semerád

3:25

Ave regina caelorum a6

David Skinner, Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

6:16

We Praise Thee, O Father

Magdalena Consort, Catherine King, Fretwork, Samuel Boden, Nicholas Todd, Eleanor Minney, Peter Harvey, Simon Gallear

4:59

Ave maris stella a4/5

David Skinner, Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

8:29

When Jesus sat at meat

Fretwork, William Hunt, Magdalena Consort

6:20

I. Domine ad adiuvandum me festina

Ensemble I Gemelli, Mathilde Etienne, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro

2:02

I. Introitus

Lieven Termont, Bart Uvyn, Guillaume Olry, Adriaan De Koster, Michaela Riener, Utopia Ensemble

6:19

The Countess of Pembroke's Paradise

4:21

Martyrum gemma latria / iligenter inquiramus / A Christo honoratus, Motet 19

Orlando Consort

3:15

Lord, Let Thy Servant Now Depart in Peace

Mark Williams, The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford

3:34

Consider, all ye passers by

Fretwork, William Hunt, Magdalena Consort

5:43

Exultate Deo

2:28

Ce qui soustient moy, Rondeau 12

Orlando Consort

3:23

No. 17, Moro, lasso, al mio duolo

Geoffroy Jourdain, Les Cris de Paris

2:55

Hui matin a l'ajournée

Ensemble Vocal de Notre-Dame de Paris, Cécile Achille, Sylvain Dieudonné, Raphaël Mas, Bérengère Sardin, Solène Riot

5:35

Danza alta, sobre "la Spagna" (Arr. U. Agnas for brass ensemble)

Stockholm Chamber Brass

2:28

Volt No. 2

1:19

In te Domine speravi

The Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice

5:47

The Frog Galliard, P. 23a

2:00

Baisies moy

Cut Circle, Jesse Rodin

6:55

I. Sicut cervus

3:21

A Sad Paven for these Distracted Tymes, MB 53

Ricercar Consort, Philippe Pierlot

6:07

No. 3, Sorrow, sorrow, stay, lend true repentant tears

thélème, Jean-Christophe Groffe

3:04

Ave Domina mea

The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery

3:32

Ne irascaris, Domine

Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School

4:52

Giunto Adrian

Tore Tom Denys, Dionysos Now

5:41

Nymphes des bois

Cappella Amsterdam, Daniel Reuss

3:29

Calata alla spagnola ditto Terzetti

1:59

Taffel Consort (Mascarada)

Katharina Bäuml, Capella de la Torre

1:50

O Clarissima Mater (De Sancta Maria, Responsorium)

Barbara Thornton, Sequentia

8:00

Chaconne

Thibaut Roussel

2:12

IV. Mater dolorosa

Peter Phillips, The Tallis Scholars

3:23

I. Sponsa Dei

Stephen Rice, The Brabant Ensemble

3:29

Derde Daphne

1:56

II. Ab aeterno

Andrew Kirkman, The Binchois Consort

4:27

Callino Casturame, BK 35

Mishka Rushdie Momen

2:00

Amorose faville

La Compagnia del Madrigale

3:10

Magi videntes stellam à 5

Huelgas Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel

2:43