The aim of this collection is to provide listeners with a broader understanding of how music was conceived during the Italian Renaissance, beyond the usual focus on vocal works, whether sacred or dramatic. Libraries have been ransacked to find unusual examples of solo repertoire for violin, lyra da braccio, keyboard, harp and lute, but also solo ricercars, 4-part dances, and arrangements of the vocal scores of madrigals. The wide range of pieces that make up the recording give an eloquent idea of the music that would have been played and heard in the home of an Italian gentleman.