recordingreviews - earlymusicamerica.org reviews_5.pdf · john dowland fancyes, dreams and spirits:...
TRANSCRIPT
Giacomo CarissimiVirtuoso Soprano MotetsRobert Crowe, male soprano;Michael Eberth, organ Profil - Günter Hänssler PH 0706964:33 minutes
We don’t know enough aboutGiacomo Carissimi’s output, mostlybecause of the lack of sources andmany problems of attribution. Mostof his autograph scores have disap-peared since the late-18th century.What is left has suffered fromNapol eonic pillaging, and the copiesare often not reliable. This is particu-larly frustrating, for what we knowof this Roman easily places him inthe pantheon of 17th-century vocalcomposers.
Taken into the service of the Col-legio Germanico e Hungarico inRome from 1629 as maestro di cap-pella, Carissimi (1605-1674) neverleft this position, even declining anoffer from San Marco in Venice in1643, after the death of ClaudioMonteverdi. Despite the ban onopera imposed by the Papal states,
Carissimiknew howto satisfy thetaste of hisRoman audi-ences withsacred worksplayed at the
church of S. Apollinare, the chapelof the Collegio Germanico. His solomotets for soprano and organ are atelling instance of how the operaticlanguage had penetrated sacredvocal music and were obviously writ-ten for the most accomplished cas-trati of his time. In comparison withother solo motets from this period,like those of Monteverdi, Carissimi’sseem almost extravagant in technicaldemand and duration (Oleumeffusum est lasts 25 minutes).
Accompanied efficiently by theorganist Michael Eberth, the Ameri-can male soprano Robert Crowe cer-tainly possesses the tessitura, thebreath and the technique for Carissi-mi’s vocal fireworks: the finalcadence of Domine, Deus meus isprobably one of the most virtuosicpassages written at the time, with itsthree-octave jumps and melismasreaching high C. The stamina of
Crowe’s voice, impressive though itis, seems to reach its limits with thevirtuosic interjections of Sicut stellamatutina, yet any strain is softenedby the reverberation of the Jesuit-enkirche Mariä Verkündigung (Mindelheim, Germany), beautifullyrendered by the recording.
Domine, Deus meus was alsoone of Carissimi’s most popular andbroadly disseminated works; a print-ed edition published in Vienna in1676 served for the present record-ing. This motet and Adeste Mortaleshave been performed down a fulltone to reflect the prevailing pitch inmid-17th-century Rome.
While there is some monotonyengendered by long sections ofrecitative in these motets—Carissi-mi’s oratorios, for instance, presentmore variety and a greater diversityof voices, from solo to choir—yetthere are truly beautiful moments.“Amo te Domine, salvator meus,”from Domine, Deus meus, is a mov-ing recitative spiced with Carissimi’sharmonic signature, the Neapolitansixth, and the characteristic madri-galisms on “gemitum” and“suspiria” echo the tone of thedeplor ation of Jephte’s daughter in Carissimi’s oratorio Jephte. —Jacqueline
John DowlandFancyes, Dreams and Spirits:Lute Music Volume 1Dowland’s Tears: Lute MusicVolume 2Nigel North, luteNaxos 8.557586, 8.55786264:39 minutes, 66:03 minutes
John Dowland (1563-1626) hasenjoyed a recent surge in popularity(or notoriety) after Sting recordedhis music in his 2006 album Songsfrom the Labyrinth. The Britishlutenist Nigel North, who has beenstudying and playing Dowland foralmost four decades, decided, atmuch the same time, to beginrecording his complete music forsolo lute. These two CDs, with 40pieces between them, are the firstinstallment in the series. Northexplains in the liner notes how hewas first inspired to take up the luteby listening to the popular music ofthe 1960s, and it certainly shows in
his interpretations. These are color-ful readings, even willful at times,rewarding to listeners who are notjust looking for a lightweight albumof Elizabethan “earlye musicke.”
North’s effortless virtuositymakes for beautiful listening. High-lights include two haunting rendi-tions of the famous LachrimaePavan—the ornamented repeats arein themselves worth the price ofadmission—and the large-scale fan-tasies, where we can listen in onDowland as he lets his musical imag-ination run free. Despite the com-
poser’s tear-stained rep-utation, notall the musicis relentlesslymelan-choly—especiallynot on thefirst CD,which fea-tures variouspieces Dow-land com-posed for hisfriends and
patrons. What’s not to love about adelightful pair of trifles called “Mrs.White’s Thing” and “Mrs. White’sNothing” or the lively galliard dedi-cated to the Earl of Essex? Therecording quality is unusually highthroughout. It is not hard for the lis-tener to imagine North (or, indeed,Dowland himself) in the same room,perhaps across an elegantly set Eliz-abethan table, sharing his creativityand his skill.—Kerry McCarthy
Josquin DesprezMissa D’ung aultre amer, Motets & Chansons
Alamire, David Skinner, director;Andrew Lawrence-King,Renaissance harpObsidian CD70168:27 minutes
This recording focuses on someof the earliest compositions ofJosquin Desprez (c. 1440–1521).The centerpiece is Josquin’s shortestand possibly earliest mass, MissaD’ung aultre amer, which is basedon a three-voice secular rondeau by
his teacher, Johannes Ockeghem (c. 1410–1497).
The CD starts out with Ock-eghem’s D’ung aultre amer, sungwith chilling emotion by mezzosoprano Clare Wilkinson, accompa-nied on the Renaissance harp byAndrew Lawrence-King. Wilkinson’stone and phrasing are flawless, andshe brings a deeply heartfelt qualityto the song.
Josquin’s mass follows, and theremainder of the program includesearly motets and a handful of chan-sons. The melody or fragments ofD’ung aultre amer turn up in severalother works presented here.
The motets are sung beautifullyby the U.K. group Alamire, whichhas a warm, rich sound on the bot-tom and a light, soft quality on thetop that never gets sharp orscreechy. They also bring a mar-velous sense of rhythm to thesesacred pieces—a quality too oftenignored. Because the rhythm ismeticulous, the ear is able to pickthrough the various threads of themotets, and while they blend beauti-fully, they never become muddled ormuddied. Perhaps the best exampleof this is the Ave Maria, which isespecially haunting thanks to soprano Julia Doyle.
Josquin’s secular chansons aresometimes difficult to attributeaccurately, and here Alamire haspresented the five untexted ones
that cansurely beattributedto him, allplayed onRenais-sance harpby Andrew
Lawrence-King. These are amongthe earliest examples of freely com-posed instrumental music.Lawrence-King plays a 24-stringharp with a burr sound on thestrings that is created when theystrike the wooden pins that holdthem to the body. The resulting res-onance makes for a sound that issurprising to the modern ear and fullof flavor. Lawrence-King brings hisusual deft and sensitive touch to theinstrument. There are also threeheartbreakingly beautiful solo vocal
12 Winter 2008 Early Music America
recordingreviewsEdited by Tom Moore
Early Music America Winter 2008 13
pieces on the agonies of love, allaccompanied by Lawrence-King.They offer three more opportunitiesto hear the heavenly Wilkinson singher heart out. —Beth Adelman
Cristóbal de MoralesMagnificat, Motets, &Lamentations
The Brabant Ensemble (Kate Ashby,Helen Ashby, Alison Coldstream,Aimée Green, Kate Semmens, Emma Ashby, Sarah Coatsworth,Fiona Rogers, Alex Clissold-Jones,Peter Davoren, Richard Eteson,Andrew McAnerney, Will Dawes, Jon Stainsby, David Stuart); Stephen Rice, directorHyperion CDA6769472:39 minutes
The Brabant Ensemble wasformed 10 years ago with the goalof exploring neglected mid-16th-century sacred music. In their mostrecent release, the ensemble doesjust that. Spanish composerCristóbal de Morales (c. 1500-1553)was renowned in his day, and is rela-tively well-known in ours, yet theworks that are presented here arecertainly not the selections one usu-ally hears on a Morales recording—there is no Lamentabatur Jacobhere, nor Emendemus in Melius, norany of his more popular Masses.Instead, the works here are at bestinfrequently recorded; in fact, theliner notes (which are very nicelydone, full of biographical informa-tion on the composer and descrip-tions of the compositions) state thatthis is the first recording of the Mag-nificat primi toni to present bothsets of verses in polyphony. For thatreason alone, the album is worth alisten and has value beyond itschoice of repertory. Recorded in thechapel of Merton College, Oxford,the sound quality is clear while stillretaining the merest touch of rever-beration. The ensemble has a rich,dense sound, especially in homo-phonic sections, and directorStephen Rice makes excellent use ofcontrasts in dynamics and tempi tocapture the textual nuances of eachpiece. Nun. Vigilavit, with its gor-geous suspensions, is particularlystriking in its expressiveness.
If there is a complaint to bemade, it is that many of the workshere sound top-heavy, making it dif-ficult to hear the inner voices clearly.Aside from some of the more trans-parent duet sections or the begin-nings of imitative phrases, the altosin particular tend to get lost in themix, a regrettable thing given the
expressiveness and beauty of theirindividual lines. This is more appar-ent in the motets than it is in eitherthe Magnificat or the Lamentations,although the lively Beati omnes quitiment Dominum is fairly well-bal-anced. Rice also took a rather liberalapproach to the application of fictain Spem in alium, which leads to
someextremelyinteresting, ifdubious,cross-rela-tions. Thismay not bethe most
“authentic” version of the motet,but the ensemble can hardly befaulted for their conviction andsense of drama.
On the whole, the recording isquite warm and lovely, a Moralesfan’s dream come true. One canonly hope that the Brabant Ensem-ble will continue to put forth equallyhigh-quality recordings of other“forgotten” masters.—Karen Cook
Ignaz PleyelPrussian Quartets 7-9 Pleyel Quartett Köln (IngeborgScheerer, Gudrun Höbold, violins,Andreas Gerhardus, viola, Julianne Borsodi , cello)cpo 777 31558:26 minutes
Some composers suffer the curseof being the contemporaries ofothers whose genius shines sostrongly that the glare blinds us toany other source of light. Such is thecase of Pleyel (1757-1831), whosereputation has been completelyeffaced by the admiration lavishedon Haydn and Mozart.
And a very unfair judgment thatis; Mozart and Haydn (who wasPleyel’s teacher) both held Pleyel’smusic in high esteem. Mozart evenwrote to his father that it would bea lucky day for music if later onPleyel should be able to replaceHaydn. This was not at all whatPleyel himself had in mind. He didnot want to occupy Haydn’s place,but rather to create his own niche asa composer.
In this he was more than suc-cessful, as indeed he was in all hisendeavors. And if today his name isusually associated with the famousParisian concert house and the pianofactory that he built, during his owntime he enjoyed tremendous successas a composer, having produced avery sizable oeuvre. His 57 stringquartets alone would make any
A T M A C L A S S I Q U E . C O M
ACD2
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… the performances are “authentic” but never at the expense of musicality.The players of Les Voix Humaines and harpist Maxine Eilander really“play off” of each other, and they are extremely well recorded. It truly
sounds as if everyone involved is having a very good time, and you will too.— David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
What a beautiful CD! If you’ve never heard the rich-textured, vibrant sound ofvoices and viols, this would make an ideal first experience; and if you have,
you’ll be impressed with the music’s full-bodied character and with the ardent,deeply felt expression of the singers, perfectly imitated and
supported by the instruments… some of the world’s best period-specialists…— David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
MAXINE EILANDERLES VOIX HUMAINES
ALSO FEATURING LES VOIX HUMAINES
ATMA Classique
composer proud.In their first CD, the Pleyel Quar-
tett Köln gives us a very convincingrendition of three of these works,belonging to a set dedicated to theking of Prussia, Frederick William II.The king (an enthusiastic cellist)must have been quite happy withthis gift. The pieces are very wellcrafted, full of inventive melodicsolutions and dramatic harmonicconfigurations. The Pleyel Quartettplays with real gusto, displaying awillingness to dive head first intothis rich material. The four membersof the group have equally impressivetechnical skills, and they match eachother in tone quality and musicalconception as well. The ensemble istight and agreeable, and the inter-pretation, though not particular-ly innovative or theatrical, is certainlyplayful where it should be, and lyri-
cal where itmatters. Ifyou do notknow thisexcellentcomposer,here is agolden
opportunity to see what it was that captivated two of the best composers of all times. —Laura Rónai
Henry PurcellKeyboard Suites and GroundsRichard Egarr, harpsichordHarmonia Mundi HMU 90742875:26 minutes
It’s not just for harpsichordlovers: the prolific Richard Egarrbrings to life Purcell’s eight keyboardsuites in all their warm, sparkly,quintessentially English tunefulness.Taken together, the suites offer akaleidoscopic view of FrenchBaroque dance forms in miniature,along with a hornpipe or two whoseairy frivolity is utterly English. Thestyle of the whole thing is gentlytheatrical and luxurious, from thelovely halting delicacy of the “Bell-Barr” Almand in Suite No. 7 to thecocky swagger of the same suite’sHornpipe.
The suites are interspersed withseven ground basses—a wonderfulprogramming touch that anchorsthe shifting dance movements withmoments of gravity. Where Egarrhighlights the dance movements’
unfolding harmonic twists andturns, particularly in the short prel-udes that unspool to a single expec-tant cadence, he allows the groundsto develop their more measuredgrandeur. Some are dance finalesfrom the theater, and others aretranscriptions from the odes. The
poignantground from“Welcometo all thepleasures”delivers avocal linemade only
more exquisite by its attenuation tothe single high harpsichord voice.
The range and scope of theRuckers low-pitch instrument is both well plumbed in the playingand well preserved in the recording. Turn up your stereo so as not to miss the last track, a dreamlike time-travel to a private musicalmoment, you might imagine, insome 17th-century London parlor.—Shulamit Kleinerman
Georg Philipp TelemannWind Concertos Volume 2La Stagione Frankfurt/CamerataKöln, Michael Schneider, conductor cpo 777 267-2 54:37 minutes
I direct my university’s periodinstrument group, which very oftenfinds itself in a quandary, having toomany winds available and notenough strings, or too many bassesand not enough soprano instru-ments. Whenever we are at a totalloss, trying to discover music thatwill fit some absurdly unlikely
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RECORDINGreviews
Early Music America magazinewelcomes news of recent re cordings. Please send CDs to be considered for review and pertinent information toTom Moore, Recording ReviewsEditor, 2937 Chapel Hill Road, Durham, NC 27707; [email protected] Music America cannotguarantee the inclusion of everyCD sent for review. All publishedreviews reflect the personalopinions of the reviewer only.
Early Music America Winter 2008 15
“Soly is a formidable Groupnerian”
Sundays at 3:30 p.m.Pre-concert lectures at 2:30 p.m.
February 1Superbach Sunday: Bach,Handel and Purcell
April 19Mendelssohn’s Miracle
May 2 (Sat. 8:00 pm)Haydn & Friends
34th SeasonMusical Milestones
B A L T I M O R E ’ S P R E M I E R E A R L Y M U S I C E N S E M B L E
Allen WhearArtistic Director
ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE • TOWSON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
410-728-2820www.promusicarara.org
assortment of instruments, some-body will come to the rescue withthe observation, “I think Telemannhas something for this group.” Andno matter how unusual our forcesmay be, Telemann (1681-1767)saves the day. Who else wrote con-certos for a flute and recorder? Orfor two oboes and bassoon?
But the best part of the story isnot simply that these works exist atall, but that they are beautifully writ-ten, exciting music that makes thesoul sing and dance.
The present CD offers a small butemblematic collection of Telemannconcerti for winds. They are as dif-ferent from each other as they arestunning. Take for example TWV51:G1, for flute, two violins andorchestra. It starts with an elegant,poised Andante, where the fluteholds an intimate conversation withthe violins, punctuated by theorchestra’s nosy interference. Thefollowing Allegro maintains thecourtly elegance but to it adds
exciting, contagious virtuosity; theAdagio, full of drama and lyricism,shows off the flutist’s tone, empha-sized by the dryness of the strings;
the lastVivace wrapsup with alively triple-meter dancethat joinspeasant-likeexuberance
to noble delicateness. A typical Tele-mann gem. The brilliant perform-ance by Karl Kaiser on the traverso is deserving of a standing ovation.But this is just one concerto, pickedalmost at random. All of theseworks are wonderful pieces ofmusic, played with enthusiasm,competence, and that almost indefinable quality, good taste.
The strings are cohesive, flexible,and precise. If you were a bit puz-zled by the two names on the cover,here is the explanation: La StagioneFrankfurt is simply an enlarged
Camerata Köln, and it maintains thislast ensemble’s qualities; bothgroups are directed by MichaelSchneider. The soloists are all excep-tional. Besides the aforementionedKarl Kaiser, the conductor, doublingalso as a recorderist, plays his instru-ment as if it were the easiest task inthe world (it isn’t, believe me). In theConcerto in D Major, Ulrich Hübnerand Jörg Schultess achieve the mira-cle of not only playing their hornswith the lightest touch, but also per-fect intonation. In the Concerto in DMinor, Luise Baumgart and MartinStadler, oboes, and Marita Schaar,bassoon, manage to project boththe intimate sound of a trio sonataand the energy of an orchestralwork. In a totally personal renditionof the Concerto in F Minor, oboistHans-Peter Westermann gives aperformance full of liberty and expressiveness.
By all standards, a delightfulrelease. —Laura Rónai
COLLECTIONS
The Balcarres Lute BookSylvain Bergeron, luteATMA Classique ACD2 256249:10 minutes
The Balcarres Lute Book is aBaroque collection of dances andtunes, often with variations, ownedby the Lindsay family, Earls of Balcar-res, a feudal domain in the North-eastern side of Loch Linnhe in Scot-land. In the 24 tracks of the CD, sixsmall suites are formed and present-ed by French Canadian lute playerSylvain Bergeron, who plays a 13-course Baroque instrument(although the booklet itself says themanuscript is intended for an 11-course lute). Bergeron, a disciple ofPaul O’Dette and Eugen Dombois, isco-founder of La Nef and hasrecorded with Emma Kirkby andSuzie LeBlanc, among others.
The works that compose the col-lection are not for the most partclearly attributed, although a certain“Mr. Beck” is mentioned in two-thirds of the 252 pieces (and inmore than half of the pieces on theCD). The vast majority are arrange-ments for the lute of popular fiddletunes to be found in early Baroque
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Early Music America Winter 2008 17
publications by Playford, such as TheDivision Violin, Apollo’s Banquet,and A Collection of Original Scotch-Tunes. Some pieces are also attrib-uted to the French lutenists Gallotand Mouton, showing that works bythe French lute masters were very
well knownto mid-17th-century Eng-lish and Scot-tish players.Compared toearlier Scot-tish lute man-
uscripts, Balcarres has more elabo-rated and extended settings, thanksto its violinistic origins.
The pieces include some simplefolk melodies, with some, such as“Katherine Ogie,” probable exam-ples of what was heard in taverns ofthe time all over Britain. Othertunes, such as “My Mistress is Pret-tie” and the “Sarabande, by DavidGrieve,” come easy to an ear accus-tomed to early music. The wholeSuite “Jock the lairds brother,” inparticular the piece from which itstitle was drawn, and “Bubbing Jo”completely took my thoughts awayto the Scottish landscape.
Perhaps a little more varietycould have been applied amidst themany variations, not only in thecharacter of the pieces but in theperformance itself: tempi remainalmost constant throughout thedisc, and some more energy oftouch would not be amiss, especiallyin the dances and the obvious partytunes. Despite these details, this CDof “folk Scotland at its luting best”provides quite a beautiful snapshotof popular Scottish music at thebeginning of the 18th century.—Inês d’Avena
Breaking the GroundJohn Mark Rozendaal, viola dagamba; David Schrader, harpsichordCentaur CRC 292065:51 minutes
This CD contains examples fromChristopher Simpson’s The Division-Violist (1659) interspersed withpieces from the Manchester GambaBook. Showpieces by nature, theseworks are more suited to live per-formance than blind listening, butJohn Mark Rozendaal and DavidSchrader surmount this issue with athoughtful and transparent execu-tion. The juxtaposition of craftedvignettes and miniatures from theManchester source with Simpson’sexamples of composed “improvisa -tions” makes for an interesting comparison.
Simpson’s treatise is in twoparts. The first offers brief but precise technical advice on how toplay the viol and how best to adjustthe instrument, with many exercisesnippets and examples plus somebasic theoretical instruction. The sec-ond part deals with both composi-tion and improvisation through theprocess of “breaking a ground,” orthe ex tempore creation of variationson a repeating bass pattern. It con-cludes with a number of fully-com-posed preludes and sets of divisions,several of which are recorded here.
Rozendaal’s liner notes placeSimpson’s work as a study ofEnlightenment values, well beyondstraight technical pedagogy: “Thepath of the Division Violist is clearlyathletic, intellectual, and spiritual,combining the disciplines of a yogiand a mathematician.” Thisapproach renders Rozendaal’s per-formance light-handed and full ofenergy, and one wishes he wereactually in the room. David Schrad-er’s accompaniment on the harpsi-chord is just right—supportive butnot intrusive.
The Manchester Gamba Book(Watson Music Collection, Manches-ter Public Library, Manchester, Eng-
land) is thesinglelargestsource oflate 17th-century soloviol music.The manu-
script comprises 246 pieces in tabla-ture and 12 in staff notation by atleast 38 composers, most unknownbeyond this collection. Though thetablature pieces use 22 differenttunings, for practical purposesRozendaal performs only those intraditional tuning on this CD. Hisapproach is gestural without beingdisjunct (he likens the tablaturenotation to choreography), and itworks in these intimate pieces. —Heather Miller Lardin
Corellisante: Sonatas for Two Violins and Continuoby Corelli and Telemann
RebelDorian DSL-90703 68:08 minutes
Fans of Rebel’s recordings willnot be disappointed by their latestoffering, a program of Corelli’s triosonatas for two violins and continuoalternating with Telemann’s homageto the same. The CD features Rebel’score group: Jörg-Michael Schwarz
For full details of how to apply, please visit:www.ncem.co.uk/youngartists or telephone +44 (0)1904 632 220The closing date for applications is 5 December 2008.
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YoungCompetition
Applications are now being invited for theYork Early MusicInternationalYoung Artists Competition
To take part you need to be:
Aged between 17 and 30 years (35 for singers)
Part of an ensemble of at least 3 players
Playing repertory from the Middle Agesto the 19th century on period instruments
All short-listed groups will be expected to present a short recital at theYork Early Music Festival on 16th or 17th July, and to take part in thecompetition at the National Centre for Early Music,York UK, on Sat 18thJuly 2009.The winners will receive a major boost to their professionalcareers, offering opportunities for touring, recording and broadcasting.
Continued on page 58
and Karen Marie Marmer, violins,John Moran, cello, Dongsok Shin,organ and harpsichord, and DanielSwenberg, plucked strings. (Theensemble normally also includesMatthias Maute, who plays recorderand traverso.)
Corelli (1653-1713) publishedfour sets of 12 trio sonatas between
1681 and1694. Thefirst andthird weresonatas dachiesa orchurchsonatas, the
second and fourth were sonatas dacamera, or chamber sonatas; themajor distinguishing featurebetween the two were overtlynamed dance movements in the lat-ter. As a group, they set the stan-dard for Baroque trio sonata formand style.
Telemann’s set of six trio sonatasentitled Sonates corellisantes (1735)pays tribute to Corelli without anyattempt at direct imitation. Instead,Telemann’s masterful fusion ofnational styles incorporates the earli-er Italian dramatic style of rapidlycontrasting emotion with Frenchdances. Telemann avoids contrastingtempos and moods within a singlemovement, so his sonatas are a bitlonger than Corelli’s as well.
Rebel performs four of theSonates corellisantes and five Corellitrio sonatas. Their ensemble isimpeccable; Schwarz and Marmerhave an uncanny sense of coordina-tion, and they are not afraid toexperiment with darker colors to off-set flashy passages. The recording isnotable for a very clear rhetoricalexpression that is rarely achieved atthis level. —Heather Miller Lardin
Flower of Cities All: Music in London, 1580-1620
The English Cornett and SackbutEnsemble, William Lyons, directorDeux-Elles DXL 111874:00 minutes
The cover of this CD is slightlymisleading: the recording does notjust feature sackbuts and cornetts. Itexplores the whole sound-world ofElizabethan and Jacobean secularmusic, including lute, dulcian, vir-
ginals, and of course the humanvoice, represented by countertenorMark Chambers. These musicians(many of them long-term membersof the Dufay Collective) have years ofexperience working together, andtheir synergy can easily be heard onthis stylish recording. Repertoireranges from the familiar (Morley,Byrd, Dowland) to the lesser-known(John Adson, Jerome Bassano, andWilliam Wigthorpe, who contributesa delightful and rambunctious set-ting of the popular Elizabethan tune“Rowland.”)
There are occasional wobbles intuning—as anyone knows who hastried the cornett, it is a devilishly dif-ficult instrument—but there is verylittle else to fault about any of theplaying. Mark Chambers brings apiercing, slightly unearthly high altovoice (with an effortless top F onmore than one occasion) to the pro-ceedings. The songs are performedwith a restored Elizabethan pronun-
ciation, fea-turing luxu-riouslytwangedWest Coun-try r’s,which didgrow over
time on this particular listener. It isunusual to hear consort songs sungto the accompaniment of loud windinstruments, and this adds an edgeto their already melancholy tone. Inat least one case, the 70-year-oldByrd’s elegy (“Fair Britain Isle”) onthe death of young Prince Henry in1612, the effect is truly haunting.
Highly recommended for musi-cians active in Renaissance theater—there is a wealth of inspiration herefor musical stagings of Shakespeare—and for anybody who would liketo explore the musical life of Londonat the turn of the 17th century.—Kerry McCarthy
Live in ConcertThe Baltimore Consort (Mary Anne Ballard, Mark Cudek,Larry Lipkis, Ronn McFarlane, MindyRosenfeld, Danielle Svonavec), withSteve Rosenberg and Danny MallonDorian Recordings DSL-9080153:05 minutes
On this album, the BaltimoreConsort presents a live recording of
RECORDINGreviews
58 Winter 2008 Early Music America
Continued from page 17
DAVID PETTY & ASSOC., PIPE ORGANS
tel 541-521-7348 Eugene, Oregonwww.davidpettyorgans.com [email protected]
Nina Falk glassBeautiful glass art, inspired by string bridges and other musical sources. Wall panels, sculptures, and sushi plates. Perfect for gifts.
online at MusicAndGlass.com or by phone at (301) 588-0064
a concert from June of 2007; asusual, it does not disappoint in theslightest. The repertory is an excitingmix of the familiar (“All in a gardengreen,” one of the recercadas of
Ortiz) andlesser-knownmaterial,rangingfrom fiddlevariationsand tradi-tional Scot-
tish songs to lute intabulations anddance tunes. The emphasis placedon Scottish music, and music fromthe British Isles in general, certainlybefits the concert’s location, the FirstScot Presbyterian Church inCharleston, SC, yet the few Italian,French, and Spanish works hardlyseem out of place. Regardless of thetype of piece, though, the perform-ers use contrasts in timbre, melodicvariations, embellishments, andornaments to bring the music to life,attacking the material with a vivacityand musicality that is to be envied aswell as appreciated.
The confidence and ease withwhich the members respond to oneanother is obvious. Instrumentsanswer, imitate, have whole conver-sations, all within a single piece, and
the group flows from piece to pieceseamlessly as only those who haveworked together for so long can do.Soprano Danielle Svonavec, while arelatively recent addition, sounds asthough she has been singing withthe group since its inception. Hersolo rendition of the traditionalScottish air “Lord Ronald” is beauti-ful in its storytelling simplicity, whileon the utterly delightful “A lietavita,” she is first among equals asshe sings along with the rest of theconsort. The two tracks just forrecorder consort are pleasing with-out dragging, and “Green Growsthe Rashes” is downright funky, areal gem of a performance. And asalways, it is lovely to hear MindyRosenfeld’s flutework highlighted ontracks such as “Adew Dundee” and“The Shaking of the Sheets.”
While the decision to move linernotes to a purely online format mayannoy some listeners, the Dorianlabel (in my humble opinion) shouldbe commended for their attemptstoward making their products moreenvironmentally friendly. As any fanof the Baltimore Consort can attest,the group is always clear, concise,colorful, and lively—all in all, this is areally enjoyable recording.—Karen Cook
She’s Sweetest When She’sNaked: Flute Music from 18th-Century Scotland
Alison Melville, Baroque flute and recorder, with accompanying musicians.early-music.com EMCCD-776159:31 minutes
The folk music of Scotland andIreland had a profound influence onthe development of the folk musicof the United States, and yet in spite
of the factthat bothScots andIrish weresubjects ofthe Englishmonarchyfor centuries
(and the Scots still are), this tradi-tional music with its Celtic flavorseems a world away from the pre-tentions of classical music, with itsaspirations to Italian and/or Germanaccents.
‘Twas not always thus: Scottishmusic was widely popular in the18th century, with arrangements ofpopular tunes for violin or flute andcontinuo. Scottish composers alsoproduced sonatas in the Italianateinternational style, and even combi-nations of the folkloric and interna-
tional, such as the Sonata of ScotsTunes by James Oswald.
Alison Melville has several otherrecordings to her credit, mostly asrecorder ist but also on Baroqueflute. She has chosen a varied, inter-esting, and attractive selection ofScottish music. The two sonatas forflute and continuo by Charles Mack-lean (published Edinburgh 1737 inhis volume of violin sonatas) areslight but well-made. Where Melvilleespecially shines is in the seven solotunes from Oswald’s CaledonianPocket Companion (including thesong from which the CD’s racy titleis taken). Here the sound is closeand intimate, and she shapes thephrases marvelously; music, breath,and ornaments are as one. This is artbeyond time—the moment mightlast forever.
Flutists may be interested toknow that the entire PocketCompanion is available as a PDF fac -simile in two volumes on CD-ROM:www.earlygaelicharp.info/emporium/books/oswald.htm. A related publi-cation by Oswald, the Collection ofcurious Scots Tunes, is available in amodern edition from Ut Orpheus,with both solo tunes and tunes withcontinuo accompaniment.—Tom Moore
Early Music America Winter 2008 59
BOOKINGS AND RECORDINGS:www.baroquelute.com207 766-2765
Timothy Burris LUT ENIS T
60 Winter 2008 Early Music America
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