Category: Recording

Ensemble Inégal, Adam Viktora
50:35
Nibiru 01602231

[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou might think the idea of sitting through almost an hour of soprano duet strophic settings of an unintelligible language with only brief ritornelli for a pair of violins would be torture, but not when the music in question is (a) by Adam Michna whose songs all sound like Xmas carols and (b) performed by Ensemble Inégal who could transform even the driest material spring to life. Previous recordings of material from Michna’s settings of Czech poetry have relied on the reconstructive powers of musicologists, but the recent discovery of the original Violin 1 part has meant that Adam Viktora and his excellent musicians take one step closer to the original; indeed, Song 11 now is complete, as it is for only soprano and solo violin above the continuo (here string bass, one plucker and organ – no kaleidoscopic special effects here!) Although the full texts of all the songs are given along with their translation, only selected verses of each are performed. While realizing that this is not the most approachable of music, I would seriously encourage anyone interested in 17th-century music to give it a go; the singing and playing are glorious and Michna’s duets really are very pretty.

Brian Clark

Irish Baroque Orchestra, Monica Huggett
73:00
Linn Records CKD526
Music by Fasch, Graupner, Heinichen, Telemann & Vivaldi

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]even concertos for all sorts of combinations of instruments feature on this entertaining disc; there are two pieces each by Fasch (including one without orchestra!) and Graupner, and one each by the other three composers listed above. Of course there are many interconnections between the four German composers; all of them was influenced by the development of the Italian concerto, whose chief exponent was Vivaldi. The solo line-ups are: flute and oboe, two cellos, two violins and bassoon, and flute d’amore (actually played on a normal traverso), oboe d’amore and viola d’amore (possibly not the piece you are thinking of – this is Graupner at his bizarre best). There are solo concertos for oboe (Heinichen) and bassoon (Graupner again). The concerto without orchestra is Fasch’s septet for pairs of oboes da caccia, violas and bassoons with continuo. The music is always earcatching and the captivating performances (and the bright recording) abound with verve and energy; one striking overall impression is the diversity the five composers brought to a single form, by use of instrumental colour and a variety of compositional styles, some opting for virtuosic display, others (by whom I primarily mean Graupner) preferring to find new ways to keep the listener guessing. Definitely an excellent disc from all concerned.

Brian Clark

Leif Henrikson bass viol, Lars-Erik Larsson theorbo
57:38
Daphne 1050
Suites in 3, G & g

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] enjoy the combination of bass viol and theorbo, it is less busy than the more usual harpsichord, and allows the viol player a wider range of dynamics, or at least, that is what one feels. Someone like Paolo Pandolfo doesn’t have any problem communicating his soft playing in any company. However, not to make invidious comparisons, this is a very enjoyable performance of three suites from the 5th and final of Marais’ great series of Livres, and it opens with the suite in E minor which concludes the book. As it happens, the Allemande of that suite is extensively marked by Marais, with enflés, doux  and fort, and Traisné, so it is a little disappointing not to hear them more exaggerated. They play seven movements from that suite (thankfully omitting the famous ‘Operation’) with an engaging deftness, frequently going his own way rather than observing Marais’ signs for enflé, or even his specifying an open string, but the playing is not without its charm.

The G major suite follows, with eight of its movements. In his publication, Marais marks those movements he describes as more difficult with what he calls a cartouche, and of the movements they choose, only one is so marked. However one has to be a very good player to play the ‘easy’ movements as well as they are played here. He has an understated approach to the chords, for example, which emphasises the bass, and his ornamentation is delightfully light. And the charming Chaconne  (with its cartouche) is given a typically poised and expressive performance.

The G minor suite, of which they play ten movements, including Le tombeau pour Marais le Cadet  perhaps demonstrates the characteristics of the player – beautifully light and deft, but ultimately lacking that rhetorical flair which can make this particular movement very affecting.

Robert Oliver