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Benevoli: Missa “In angustia pestilentiæ”, 1656

Cappella Musicale Santa Maria in Campitelli, Vincenzo Di Betta
56:21
Tactus TC 600201

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omposed during a plague which hit Rome in 1656, and probably performed behind closed doors in St. Peter’s Basilica in order to prevent contagion, Benevoli’s Missa In angustia pestilentiæ  is typical of the large-scale Roman baroque. It is performed here by the eighteen singers of the Cappella Musicale of S. Maria in Campitelli, one of Rome’s larger baroque churches. It currently houses a restored small organ ‘ad ala’ of 1635, made in Viterbo by Pellegrino Pollicolli in the Roman tradition, used to good advantage here to accompany the choir, as well as in organ pieces by Frescobaldi, Froberger and Tarquinia Merula, played by Franco Vito Gaiezza. Merula’s Intonazione cromatica  with echoes is particularly effective. The disc presents a plausible reconstruction of a festal Mass with plainchant propers and other items, well sung by the church’s schola, as well as the organ interludes in appropriate places. The polyphonic singing is enthusiastic – often overly so, without much subtlety and with a couple of voices over-dominant in the full texture. They are accompanied by two trombones and theorbo, as well as the organ, and the resonant acoustic tends to emphasise the lack of contrast. The result is somewhat to trivialise Benevoli’s carefully considered antiphonal repetitions, without sufficient separation in the recording to mimic the surround-sound effects and contrasts intended by the composer. The reduced-voice sections like the Christe and the middle section of the Credo fare better; the latter’s seemingly endless ‘non erit finis’ is particularly effective. This is an enterprising project and it is good to see a contemporary Roman church choir tackling this music.

Noel O’Regan

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A. Scarlatti: Responsories for Holy Week: Holy Saturday

La Stagione Armonica, Sergio Balestracci
70:20
dhm 1 90758 02412 7

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]carlatti’s settings of the nine responsories from the Tenebrae office for Holy Saturday are performed here in their three nocturns, preceded and separated by four Lenten motets and four organ pieces by the same composer. It makes for a satisfying programme which showcases Scarlatti’s more restrained side, using the developed stile antico  idiom commonly found in late 17th-century liturgical music. This refers back to late 16th-century style but uses more advanced harmonic shifts, sometimes becoming quite chromatic in response to the words. The listener can have some fun looking out for influences from earlier composers of responsories like Victoria and Gesualdo. Those recorded here survive in a single source, now in Bologna; although not attributed, they have long been thought to be by the elder Scarlatti – probably composed for the Medici in Florence – and certainly match the style of his more authenticated motets on this disc. The source provides a basso continuo, and organ is used to accompany the set here. The CD opens with an organ toccata and fugue, played by Carlo Rossi, which provides a full-bodied introduction in Italian style; the organ is a copy of a late 17th-century South German portable organ by Zanin of Udine. The sixteen voices of the choir produce a full choral sound, also in a typical Italian manner. Blend is good, even if tuning is not always spot on. The singing does have a strong sense of commitment and brings out the subtleties of the harmony and of Scarlatti’s word-painting devices. The final Miserere  is particularly heartfelt.

Noel O’Regan

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Schütz: Kleine geistliche Konzerte II

Complete recording vol. 17
Gerlinde Sämann, Isabel Schicketanz, Maria Stosiek, David Erler, Georg Poplutz, Tobias Mäthger, Tobias Berndt, Felix Schwandtle, Stefan Maass, Matthias Müller, Ludger Rémy
116:35 (2 CDs in a box)
Carus 83.271

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he two collections of Kleine geistliche Konzerte published by Schütz in 1636 and 1639 respectively are not only a product of wartime but also productions directly influenced by the exigencies of war. By the time the second set was published the Thirty Years War had already been raging for over 20 years, devastating large tracts of Europe and having a disastrous effect on cultural activity. Schütz’s Dresden suffered greatly, the Kapellmeister having witnessed a radical reduction in the musical forces at his disposal.

These ‘little sacred concertos’ therefore ostensibly represent a classic example of the old saying, ‘needs must …’. In practice, despite Schütz’s own misgivings about such small-scale works, the 31 works that constitute the second collection represent an astonishingly diverse compendium of Schütz’s style as it stood at this point in his career. Consisting of vocal concertos divided between Latin and German texts and scored for anything between one and five parts and continuo, these miniature masterpieces range between solos in the stile recitative, virtuoso writing in the Venetian style of Monteverdi, complex madrigalian pieces for 4 or 5 voices and pieces in the simpler, more homophonic Lutheran tradition, though it is important to observe that Lutheran chorales play no part. Texts also cover a diverse range that naturally includes the Bible, in particular the Psalms, in addition to hymns and other Lutheran texts, and the writings of St Augustine. The last named, which include the 5-part ‘Quemadmodum desiderat’ and ‘O misericordissime Jesu’, a tenor solo in stile rappresentativo, are among the most striking settings. But everywhere the listener is constantly aware of Schütz’s unrivalled ability to colour mimetic text with an unostentatious, yet vividly deployed palette. Take as an example the duet for soprano and bass, ‘Wann unsre Augen schlafen ein’ (E’en though our weary eye-lids fall), with its falling chromatic line illustrating the gradual descent into sleep contrasted dramatically with the diatonic exhortation of the second half, ‘Above us stretch thy sheltering hand …’ Four lines of text for a setting lasting under three minutes. Yet what a wealth of expression, of meaning is contained within that tiny framework!

The present recording does not present the contents in published order, but perhaps wisely has chosen to group them under topic, thus an opening group devoted to texts associated with Christmas and so on. This provides greater contrast of texture for continuous listening, avoiding the gradual build up of forces from one to five voices, the option chosen by the principal rival, a cpo recording by Weser-Renaissance under Manfred Cordes. Eight singers, mostly little known outside Germany, are used, along with a continuo group of theorbo, gamba and keyboard (organ or virginals). If I may be allowed to introduce a personal note, I was shocked to learn from an introductory note of the death in June 2017 of the outstanding keyboard player and director of these performances, Ludger Rémy. Some years ago I had a fair amount of contact with him and indeed interviewed him for the now-defunct Goldberg Early Music Magazine. Although I believe he suffered from ill health for some years I found Rémy, both in person and in his performances, to be a man of great integrity and modesty. Fortunately he leaves a considerable recorded legacy that testifies to his substantial qualities.

It is the total integrity of these performances that is their greatest merit. All the singers are considerably more than capable, with voices that blend well in the madrigalian concerted pieces. What I would have preferred is a greater sense of the rhetorical qualities inherent in so many of the concertos. This applies especially to the several texts laid out in question and answer format or as dialogues, of which ‘Sei gegrüsset, Maria’, a dramatisation of the Annunciation, is a particularly beautiful example. In that respect I might perhaps have a leaning to the cpo, with its more familiar and experienced singers. Nonetheless, I would certainly not wish to deter anyone from these rewardingly authentic – in the true sense of the word – performances.

Brian Robins

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Cazzati: Amor Profano, Amor Sacro

Secular and Sacred Vocal Music
Eridanus
115:08 (2 CDs in a single jewel case)
Brilliant Classics 95586

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s the informative booklet notes state, Cazzati’s is a name that deserves to be better known; he was one of the most prolific composers of the post-Monteverdian generation, and certainly one of the most published. The Eridanus ensemble (voices, recorder, two violins and continuo) have opted to separate the secular and the sacred by devoting one disc to each, interpolating vocal music with instrumental trios (sonatas and dance movements). Alessio Tosi has a pleasant, light voice which he colours according to the drama of some of the texts, and mezzo-soprano Marta Redaelli, who only sings on the second disc, has a clear, even voice. The performers manage the sound world by changing the continuo accompaniment through the sequence of works; although I have complained about that in these pages in the past, it is only a serious concern when the line-up varies throughout a single piece. There is none of that here – each work has a constant accompaniment. Eridanus should be very proud of this fine achievement, not least because 24 of the 31 tracks are world premiere recordings. I hope Brilliant Classics will encourage them to go on and record a similar disc of Cazzati’s music for larger forces, so that we have a truly rounded impression of this neglected master.

Brian Clark

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Delight in Musicke

English songs and instrumental music of the 16th and 17th century
Klaartje van Veldhoven soprano, Seldome Sene recorder quintet
53:29
Brilliant Classics 95654
Music by Baldwine, Bennet, Byrd, Dowland, Gibbons, att. Nicholson, Purcell, Tye, Weelkes & anon

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s a Beautiful Day … Soft Machine … Ten Years After … Spinal Tap. The 1960s pioneered the creative name among rock groups, and fifty years later Seldom Sene are mining the same vein as an ensemble performing Tudor and Stuart music. So, like their predecessors, do they … rock?

As on the previous recording that I reviewed recently in EMR (William Byrd: Consort Music and Songs  performed by B-Five – another edgy name – and Sunhae Im) a soprano is pitted against an accompaniment of recorders on several of the tracks. Of the 21 tracks here, slightly under half are songs. So how, in this instance, does the timbre of the singer fare in consort with the recorders, given the usual expectation that the accompaniment would be for viols? Perhaps a fraction better than Sunhae Im who, for all her impressive vocal accomplishment, cannot subdue vestiges of a vibrato deriving from her specialism in Baroque opera. Klaartje van Veldhoven’s timbre has less, indeed scarcely any, obtrusive vibrato and she blends more smoothly with her accompaniment. This is best illustrated in a performance of Purcell’s In nomine  of 6 parts in which she sings the plainsong (to the Latin text) with the quintet. The blend is ideal, while the effect is ethereal, almost (and perhaps actually) revelatory. Throughout the disc, the playing of the quintet is clear and precise while committed, with none of the pyrotechnics of B-Five. Indeed, Seldom Sene provide fresh approaches to pieces such as Byrd’s Browning and In nomine of 5 parts no. 5  and Tye’s title track (performed twice, at contrasting pitches) plus Purcell’s In nomine  and his Fantasia 5 parts upon one note  which are well known within their own genre. This provoked me to consider the disc’s unique selling point, or USP. Many in the same market are competing with fine music well performed. Why, apart from their luminous performances of the pieces I have just mentioned, should people purchase this disc? Part of the answer lies in the album’s margins. Alongside the two instrumental pieces, main man Byrd is represented by two songs. The sublime Ah silly soul  follows Dowland’s I shame at mine unworthiness which is impressive enough with its angst and dissonances, yet Byrd’s song seems to plumb even greater emotional depths with much less effort. The other song by Byrd is If women could be fair  which, like Susanna fair  on B-Five’s album, has clanging contemporary resonances to which the female writer of the sleevenotes alludes wryly. But there is a musical issue as well. All the songs in Byrd’s Psalmes, sonets and songs  of 1588 are printed as partsongs. Most have one part labelled as “the first singing part” from their origins as consort songs. This is one of a small number which have no such indication. Nevertheless it is one among three of these unlabelled songs that Joseph Kerman, in his book The Elizabethan madrigal  suggests, on the basis of its musical structure, was originally a consort song. The putative “first singing part” is obvious and, unlike The Consort of Musicke in the only previous recording, Seldom Sene and Klaartje van Veldhoven take Kerman at his word, and it comes off splendidly. The entire ensemble also perform two fine songs by the able but neglected Nathaniel Patrick (both already recorded on Elizabethan Songs and Consort Songs, Naxos 8554284, by Catherine King with the Rose Consort), the relatively popular Venus’ birds  by John Bennet (not anonymous, pace the sleevenotes) and Weelkes’ less recorded The nightingale. And if there is a feeling of familiarity in encountering the two anonymous warhorses Sweet was the song the Virgin sang  and Farewell the bliss  besides three items from Dowland’s Lachrymae  (all understandable inclusions, after all this is a commercial recording) it is good to welcome two quirky instrumentals in What strikes the clocke, complete with concluding chime, by big brother Edward Gibbons, and Cuckoow as I me walked  by Byrd’s scribe and cheerleader John Baldwin.

Before winding up, what would be the name equivalent to rock’s satirical Spinal Tap for an early music consort? Spinal Chord?

It remains to say that Seldom Sene perform on the full gamut of recorders, from sopranino to sub-contrabass, with judicious scorings in both the consort music and the songs; and that Klaartje van Veldhoven possesses an ideal voice for this repertory. It would be good to hear her on a disc devoted to Byrd, singing a combination of classics and premieres.

Richard Turbet

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Heinrich Schütz: Complete Recording Box II

Dresdner Kammerchor, Hans-Christoph Rademann
(= vols. 9-14 previously released separately)
Carus 83.042

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hy are we so reluctant to accord Schütz his place on Parnassus that his unquestionable stature demands? I’m not the only one to believe he may well qualify as the most neglected of all great composers. It must be confessed that I am not free of guilt myself. Every time I hear his music my reaction is invariably the same: ‘Good Lord! Why on earth don’t I listen to this man’s music more often?’ So the arrival of an 8-CD set taken from Carus’ award-winning intégrale has provided a golden opportunity to atone by doing just that. Not that I’ve binge listened; rather the reverse in fact – there must have been times when Brian wondered if he was ever going to see this review. But each return to the set has brought renewed admiration and awe at the staggeringly high quality of an output that truly represents a summation of mid-17th-century sacred music. Of course, not everything is a masterpiece, but there is not a work here – large or small – that does not testify to the profound spirituality and level of communication that informs Schütz’s settings of sacred texts.

A few general observations before brief notes on individual CDs. The performances under Hans-Christoph Rademann are almost without exception of the highest quality, which is all the more remarkable given the large number of personnel involved in varied works demanding very diverse vocal and instrumental performing forces. My sole major reservation is that I feel that Rademann uses choral forces that are often too large; I feel this applies especially to Symphoniae Sacrae III (1650), which surely need only single voices to supplement the favoriten  (soloists)? This is perhaps also the place to note the splendid sound quality and outstanding documentation that includes copious notes and full texts. There is, however, no English translation, although those sufficiently interested and determined will find many of the texts in the Bible, references always being given.

CD 1. The Auferstehunghistorie  (Resurrection Story) is the earliest of Schütz’s oratorios, designed for Easter Vespers and first performed in 1623. It shows clear signs of the Venetian influences that played an important role in the composer’s development, but – particularly given the subject matter – exercises quiet restraint rather than exuberance. The Evangelist’s narrative is largely in the stile recitativo and accompanied by a rich tapestry of gambas. The extensive role is superbly taken by tenor Georg Poplutz and all the solo singers are excellent, though the light-weight bass Felix Rumpf might have been a more authoritative Jesus. Among several extra works, the exceptional dialogue duet “Es gingen zweene Menschen” (the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector) vividly illustrates how exceptional an opera composer Schütz might have become. (His sole opera, Dafne is among music’s most grievous losses).
CD 2. Justifiably one of the composer’s most popular works, the Weihnachtshistorie (Christmas Story) is probably also the most lovable, its vibrant colour and freshness all the more extraordinary when one recalls Schütz was in his 76th year when the oratorio was composed in 1660. Poplutz is again a supremely expressive Evangelist, while soprano Gerlinde Sämann’s charming Angel is another major plus in a vital performance that stands comparison with any of the better versions currently in the catalogue. In addition to the oratorio, there are a number of motets associated with Christmas, among them the exquisitely lovely choral setting “Ach Herr, du Schöpfer aller Ding,” SWV450.

CD 3. At the opposite polarity to the brilliant colours of the Weihnachtshistorie  are three Passion settings made by Schütz at the end of his long, industrious life. Of these the best known is the Matthäus-Passion  (St Matthew Passion), a work in which everything is pared down to essentials – it consists largely of chant, throwing the crowd interjections into the sharpest relief – that might have produced a forbiddingly austere impression, were it not for an astonishing directness that projects the story with compelling clarity. Poplutz is again a marvellous Evangelist, singing with great subtlety, though the splendid Felix Schwandtke (Caiphas) might have made for a more imposing Jesus than Rumpf.

CDs 4 & 5. Published in 1650 Symphoniae sacrae  III is a sumptuous collection of concerted works on texts drawn from the Psalms and New Testament. Free from the horrors of the 30 Years War and the consequential emasculation of his performing forces, this magnificently celebratory and variegated collection finds Schütz returning to the brilliance and vitality of his earlier Venetian writing. Starting from the exquisite setting of “Der Herr ist mein Hirte” (Psalm 23) the collection progresses to the highly dramatic “Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich” to the splendour of that ultimate Lutheran hymn of praise, “Nun danket alle Gott”. With the exception of the caveat regarding choral forces noted above, the performances are outstanding on all counts.

CD 6. Like the St Matthew Passion, the Johannespassion  (St John Passion) employs an extreme economy of means, the story compellingly transmitted with a directness in which expressivity is again only enhanced by the apparently austere setting. The climax at “Es ist vollbracht!” (It is finished) is quite as overpowering as anything found in more grandiose settings. The Evangelist here is the excellent Jan Kobow, the weakness the experienced but lugubrious bass Harry van der Kamp. Again the contrapuntal choruses provide stark contrast. The Passion is preceded – as it is in the St Matthew Passion, by the Litany, in this case with singing of angelic purity from sopranos Ulrike Hofbauer and Marie Luise Werneburg.

CDs 7 & 8. Dating from 1629 Symphoniae sacrae  I predates the third set by more than 20 years, deriving from the musical travels on which he soaked up a variety of influences, in particular in this instance Venetian music. These are small-scale concertos (there is no chorus) for between one and three voices and continuo. Notwithstanding their remarkable variety, in particular a group based on texts from the Song of Solomon Schütz embraces the lascivious texts with a degree of sensuality rivalling Monteverdi in a way that might surprise those who regard him as a stern Lutheran. The thoroughly idiomatic and involving performances are spread between ten singers, all of whom have already distinguished themselves on earlier discs.

Brian Robins

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Clear or cloudy: Purcell, Dowland, Hume

Benno Schachtner, Axel Wolf, Jakob Rattlinger, Andreas Küppers
59:04
Accent ACC24333

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his delightful recital CD recorded in the Baroque splendour of the library of Roggenburg Abbey in Bavaria is a showcase for the lovely voice and expressive musicality of male alto Benno Schachtner. Choosing the finest solo songs of the 17th century by the English composers Purcell, Dowland, Croft, Blow, Robert Johnson and token Scotsman Tobias Hume, Schachtner and his virtuoso continuo ensemble give exquisite and dramatic accounts which speak of deep study and considerable familiarity with this fine repertoire. At no point does Schachtner’s technique sound remotely stretched; indeed, we are blissfully unaware of technical considerations throughout this recording.

[Video is in German, without sub-titles]

More than this, the performers have clearly researched their material closely and alongside two energetic Hume gamba solos, the same composer’s Fain would I change that note  is performed by voice and gamba alone, as if the composer himself were performing it! Further elegant solos on the harpsichord and lute provide variety, but actually I could have listened to Schachtner’s expressive voice until the cows came home. Just as the group finish the song which gives the CD its title, Dowland’s Cleare or cloudie, and significantly just before they start Purcell’s Fly swift ye hours, the microphones pick up the plaintive call of a great tit in the background – so glad they left that in!

D. James Ross

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Recording

The Topping Tooters of the Town

Music of the London Waits 1580-1650
The City Waits, William Lyons
49:32
Avie AV2364

Improbable as it seems, the title of this CD comes from a 1709 description of the London City Waits, and there is indeed some top tooting here. As the original Waits of the 16th and 17th century would have done, The City Waits play attractive medleys of popular and courtly tunes with enormous skill on a variety of wind instruments including recorders, shawms, dulcians, lysard, hoboy, cornett, sackbut and bagpipes. They have carefully chosen some of the more inventive consort music of the period by Holborne, Adson, Peter Philips, as well as songs by Thomas Morley and psalms by Dowland, Richard Allison, Simon Stubbs and Ravenscroft, for which they are joined by a band of voices who ‘put out’ the psalm tune with period pronunciation before we hear it in harmonised form with instruments and voices. William Lyons’ excellent programme notes paint a vivid picture of the dynamic role played in 16th- and 17th-century musical life by city waits up and down the country, while the CD gives a rich and varied picture of how they might well have sounded in a variety of contexts. My only criticism of this excellent CD is its relative brevity – we could have done with more verses of the psalms, more Valentin Haussman, more Holborne and certainly more of William Lyons’ own imaginative full ensemble arrangements of John Playford. More ‘top tooting’ please!

D. James Ross

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Recording

Clorinda e Tancredi: Claudio Monteverdi

Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli soprano, Luca Dordolo tenor, Cantar Lontano, Marco Mencobani
69:56
Glossa GCD 923512

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n unkind review of some years ago referred to the ‘tweedledum-tweedledee’ style of performance applied sometimes to Monteverdi, and I’m afraid the term sprang to mind when I was listening to this CD of Monteverdi’s madrigals. In his programme note, Pierre Mamou seems to suggest that the performers will be seeking the exaggerated and ugly beneath the beauty of Monteverdi’s music (I oversimplify), and I’m afraid for my part they succeed only too well. Monteverdi’s dramatic dialogues need careful handling to avoid triteness, and I’m afraid if you are going for a comic effect as the singers do here, the result soon becomes tiresome and ridiculous. There is some lovely singing, when the performers temporarily seem to forget their stated mission and engage in lyrical singing and delicate ornamentation, but soon the exaggerated expression returns and the effect is spoiled. The central work, The Battle of Tancredi and Clorinda, receives a more measured account, or perhaps the drama inherent in the work makes this mode of performance more acceptable. Luca Dordolo is an animated testo, while the instrumental forces are also effectively engaged in this powerful tale. Due to the enlightened Scottish Exam Board decision to include Il Combattimento  in the 1970s Higher Music syllabus, it was the first music by Monteverdi I ever came across. As a result, I am very familiar with the multitude of recordings which have been made of it since, and while this is not the best, it stands up rather well by comparison. I should point out there is a bonus track on the CD, a rather ‘contemporary’ realisation of a song by Giovanni Felice Sances, which would not sound out of place in a New York piano bar – perhaps this is where the performers have been longing to be all along…

D. James Ross

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Recording

Pedro Ruimonte in Brussels

Music at the archducal Court of Albert and Isabel Clara Eugenia
La Grande Chapelle, Albert Recasens
114:35 (2 CDs )
Lauda LAU017

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his double CD highlights the music of Pedro Ruimonte, a composer new to me, but also very usefully casts an additional spotlight on an unsuspected musical golden age in the early 17th-century Low Countries. Following the popular uprising against Habsburg rule, music was in a parlous state, and it seems to be due almost entirely to the arrival of the new culturally engaged Habsburg rulers – the Albert and Isabel of the CD title – that a spectacular blossoming of the arts ensued. Side by side with the painters Brueghel the Elder and Rubens, the court employed the English composers Peter Philips and John Bull, as well as the Fleming Gery de Ghersem and the Spaniard Pedro Ruimonte. Considerable Habsburg financial resources allowed a great flourishing of music-making, while the renewed urgency of the Counter-Reformation provided impetus. The voices and instruments of La Grande Chapelle provide a rich and varied programme of music by Ruimonte and Philips but also including works by Pieter Cornet, Richard Deering and Frescobaldi. Grafting the Flemish tradition on to the more adventurous Venetian style, this repertoire is on a grand scale and of a very high standard of craftsmanship. Peter Philips’ music, so often presented in purely vocal accounts, receives rich and very effective performances here, combining voices with brass and stringed instruments, while there is also a lovely and unexpected motet for two solo voices and continuo. Ruimonte’s rich church music stands up very well in comparison with that of his English contemporary, but he is also represented by some attractive madrigals and villancicos, suggesting a composer of considerable versatility. Ruimonte is a fascinating discovery, and fine performances by La Grande Chapelle both of the large-scale works and the more intimate material help to re-establish his reputation, but also help to paint a picture of an obscure musical flourishing and its full artistic context.

D. James Ross

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