
This is Jonathan Dunford's second recording of music by Le Sieur de Ste. Colombe - music from a manuscript for which Dunford himself found the attribution.
It contains three suites from the manuscript. The last of the three, the D minor, seems to me an astonishing piece of music with immediate impact and obvious depth of feeling and complexity of idea. It ends with an attractive chaconne
https://www.youtube.com/v/9T7RIfNT69YDunford presents the music like ricercare - the sense of the musician searching for the possibilities of what can be done with an idea, the sense of the musician letting his imagination roam, is very palpable. The result is something which is very much about the balance between intellect and feeling - I like that myself. The performances are intense, and they demand intense listening, my experience is that the moment I lose concentration or good will, all is lost. It's as if I have to engage with Dunford and Ste. Colombe, follow them on their journey, or they'll just abandon me by the wayside. As often is the case for me, finding the right volume (low) is essential, if not it sounds crude and dull.
In his notes to the recording, Dunford uses the word "exquisite", and that is right. I'm reminded that Bach's contribution to this genre was the end of a rich line that includes some major musical poems by Hume, Stoeffken and indeed Le Sieur de Ste. Colombe.
Dunford recorded and published this release by himself, and it's available in good MP3 and on Spotify. This seems a shame because for me, good MP3 and spotify is not really ideal.