Recordings for lute and related instruments

[Mandryka]

Trying this one out presently. Edit: Corbetta is an interesting character. He travelled very widely and taught de Visee. I think Conte is a fine musician. This is rather serene music and played with sensitivity on an historic beautiful sounding guitar.

Good find, there aren't many Corbetta recordings, and I agree that this one is seductively calm and refined and poetic. I knew the name Roadario Conté because I'd heard a Piccinini recording of his, which hadn't really impressed me, maybe I should reevaluate.

[milk]

Good find, there aren't many Corbetta recordings, and I agree that this one is seductively calm and refined and poetic. I knew the name Roadario Conté because I'd heard a Piccinini recording of his, which hadn't really impressed me, maybe I should reevaluate.

The Corbetta is certainly fine artistry. I like it more with every listen.

[milk]

For some reason, when I listen to the cello suites on the guitar or lute, they start to sound like a collection of notes after a while - not really idiomatic. Yet this recording of the French Suites almost seems like it was written for the lute. Somehow, the left and right hand of the French Suites correspond well to chords or several strings in tandem. Yet, perhaps non-intuitively, the single lines (I guess with an effect of counterpoint through composition and performance techniques?) of the cello begin to sound repetitive on the lute/guitar. Does that make sense?

[San Antone]

Listening to this and enjoying it:



Nicolas Vallet: Le secret des muses
Paul O'Dette

[Kontrapunctus]

This is excellent, as are his two recordings on Channel Classics.

[milk]

Something else I've dug up. Not sure what to make of this one yet: this is mixed with a very close-miked sound. No reverb. Very dry. The guitar is a copy of a baroque guitar. Yamaya studied with many prominent Lutenists including Beier, Stubbs, Schneiderman and Barto. I'm not sure what to make of this music yet. I'll say one thing, this music has some unique aspects to it but I'm not sure if these quirks will come to annoy me. Seems like every "lick" ends with a one-strum. This ends up being kind of tedious to my ears. The musician, Yamaya, presents a kind of angular sounding style. Has anyone else heard this composer or this performer? 

[milk]

This is another good find: this recording contains a very interesting repertoire of (late?) renaissance composers such as Josquin Des Prez. According to the booklet, the idea for the duos comes from an "anthology that we have inherited from Enríquez de Valderrábano," i.e. the one existing Spanish text for two vihuelas. This recording represents a sort of "parallel" to this musical text - meaning they drew from other sources as well. The playing is serene and clear and the sound of the alto and bass vihuelas together is quite pleasing. 

[milk]

Trying this one out presently. Edit: Corbetta is an interesting character. He travelled very widely and taught de Visee. I think Conte is a fine musician. This is rather serene music and played with sensitivity on an historic beautiful sounding guitar.

For me, this has turned out to be quite a find. Lovely music, played with sensitivity and intelligence and the sound of the instrument and recording is also quite good.

[milk]

This is music is from Luys Milán's Viheula book, perhaps the first book of its kind. I have another recording of this composer, a duo by Jose Miguel Moreno and Eligio Quinteiro that's very good, but I don't really understand if this is from the same book as the one from which Escobar plays. José Antonio Escobar, solo on Vihuela, goes through the text linearly (through the numbered fantasias and Pavanas), from start to finish, so one can hear the progression of this didactic music with its increasing complexity. Anyway, I appreciate Escobar's mastery of the music. It's much mellower than the duet recording and the instrument sounds a bit more like a modern guitar. While the information clearly indicates a viheula, a commenter on Amazon wrote that he was convinced this is not a vihuela because the courses sound like single strings instead of doubled. I can't answer this question although I believe this is clearly not a modern guitar. Anyway, it's beautiful music and Escobar nicely brings out the details and nuance. Nothing is blurred or slurred.     

[milk]

This is the duet recording by Jose MORENO and Eligio Quinteiro of Milan's music that I mentioned in a previous post. I would have to give this a very high rating. I love this recording. These instruments are identifiably NOT guitars = they're lovely Vihuelas. There's a lot of spirit in this music. I'm kind of intrigued about how much music is in Milan's Vihuela book and if these pieces are really written for two instruments.   

[Mandryka]

This is the duet recording by Jose MORENO and Eligio Quinteiro of Milan's music that I mentioned in a previous post. I would have to give this a very high rating. I love this recording. These instruments are identifiably NOT guitars = they're lovely Vihuelas. There's a lot of spirit in this music. I'm kind of intrigued about how much music is in Milan's Vihuela book and if these pieces are really written for two instruments.

Que likes this one. Moreno is very good at making the instrument sing. I've started to listen to Massimo Londardi's Vihuela CD, which contains quite a bit of Luys Milan. The music making is nonchalant and fluid.

[milk]

Que like this one. Moreno is very good at making the instrument sing. I've started to listen to Massimo Londardi's Vihuela CD, which contains quite a bit of Luys Milan. The music making is nonchalant and fluid.

The samples of this immediately sound better than Escobar. I'm not sure why yet. I think the instrument has more presence, for one. Thanks! More drama maybe too, maybe.

[Mandryka]

The samples of this immediately sound better than Escobar. I'm not sure why yet. I think the instrument has more presence, for one. Thanks! More drama maybe too, maybe.

Oh I forgot to mention something, there's a Narvaez CD by Lex Eisenhardt which you may like, it's quite challenging, not accessible like Hopkinson Smith, he plays the fantazias like contrapuntal ricercari by Sweelinck or something, but it has an intensity which makes me think you may find it rewarding.

[milk]

Oh I forgot to mention something, there's a Narvaez CD by Lex Eisenhardt which you may like, it's quite challenging, not accessible like Hopkinson Smith, he plays the fantazias like contrapuntal ricercari by Sweelinck or something, but it has an intensity which makes me think you may find it rewarding.

Thanks I'll check it out! ETA: I'm loving this. Yes: intensity. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. I have to compare it to Smith but I'm convinced by the authentic feeling of Eisendardt. He know what he's doing. But Smith is also great: quite moving and beautiful.

[Mandryka]

It's just two different approaches,  I like Smith's poise and melodiousness, I like Eisenhardt's depth.

There are two lute dominated recordings by Rooley that I know, The Cozens Lute Book and a selection of Renaissance Duets with James Tyler. There are three or four CDs dedicated to Dowland in the complete Dowland he recorded, can someone say who's playing? Is it really Rooley?

Are there any more? I like Rooley's style very much.

[Mandryka]

Hmm...why can't I get into Dowland? Should I try harder?

Yes, you should hear Nigel North. More than anyone else I've heard, apart maybe from Thomas Dunford (who hasn't recorded anywhere near as much of Dowland's solo lute music), he makes the music expressive, he makes the music human.

[Que]

Yes, you should hear Nigel North. More than anyone else I've heard, apart maybe from Thomas Dunford (who hasn't recorded anywhere near as much of Dowland's solo lute music), he makes the music expressive, he makes the music human.

I would definitely recommend Nigel North. Nicely flowing, dance like rhythms.

[asin]B002N5KEBU[/asin]
Q

[prémont]

There are three or four CDs dedicated to Dowland in the complete Dowland he recorded, can someone say who's playing? Is it really Rooley?

The Dowland lute pieces are shared between:

Anthony Bailes (lute), Jakob Lindberg (lute), Nigel North (lute), Christopher Wilson (lute), Anthony Rooley (lute)

[milk]

Yes, you should hear Nigel North. More than anyone else I've heard, apart maybe from Thomas Dunford (who hasn't recorded anywhere near as much of Dowland's solo lute music), he makes the music expressive, he makes the music human.

I realized I have vol. 2 of North so I'm giving it a listen. I do find myself being won over by this. More than O'dette for some reason.

[Mandryka]

The Dowland lute pieces are shared between:

Anthony Bailes (lute), Jakob Lindberg (lute), Nigel North (lute), Christopher Wilson (lute), Anthony Rooley (lute)

That explains a lot, thank you!