Baroque flute music is not going to change your life, but it sure is pretty. This is a steal; buy and enjoy.
May 18, 2008 |  | A Buried Treasure of Music |  |
I find it difficult to believe that Kapsberger's music has been so poorly recorded. It is a fantastic experience to listen to these pieces of lute music. Paul O'Dette plays (as always) beautifully and is supported by the immediate warm recording that brings lushness and crisp tones to the musical journey. Please bring back more of Kapsberger's pieces into the recorded repertoire. Highly recommended if you find joy in lute music!
March 29, 2007| | | Can Only Be Described With Superlatives | |
Baroque Lute Music, Vol. 1: Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (c. 1580 – 1651): 25 pieces for lute or chitarrone/theorbo, played on copies of historical instruments by Paul O’Dette.
Recorded in November, 1989, at Bethel United Church of Christ, Manchester, Michigan.
Harmonia Mundi USA, originally published as HMU 907020, now re-issued in the Classical Express series as HMCX 3957020. Total time: 69’27”.
Paul O’Dette has been, for many years, one of a handful of world-class lutenists, combining superb technical skills and high musicality with musicological research. This CD with music by the little-known Kapsberger, who apparently spent most of his career in Rome and was, in his day, one of the most famous composers, provides ample evidence of O’Dette’s abilities and can only be described in superlatives. The “Fanfare” critic quoted on the cover of the re-issue said it all: “This is superb music, melodious, with just enough counterpoint, harmonically and rhythmically cogent, nicely spaced with runs and trills, wonderfully apt for the instrument. O’Dette, for my money the world’s finest lutenist, does the music full justice, and the sound is first-rate.” I am normally sceptical when CD companies quote such praise, but in this case, the proof of the pudding was in the eating: A listening session in front of my loudspeakers had me enraptured. I am not a lutenist, only a fan of early music, but this disc (along with Lutz Kirchhof’s recording of Bach’s complete works for lute on Sony Vivarte) would be enough to turn me into a lute fanatic! O’Dette’s helpful notes indicate where to listen particularly carefully; and I also found it highly satisfying to compare and contrast the sound of the two instruments he plays (the chitarrone obviously has resonance bass strings, sounding deeper and fuller). And the recorded sound is absolutely glorious. The folks at Harmonia Mundi must have been in an exceptionally generous mood when they decided to re-issue this disc at budget price!
April 8, 2006 | | A good one but a kind of monotonous | |
A very good Girolamos'set. The only problem is that the melodies are so monotonous cause of the variations of the songs and in the middle of the CD you want to change it. But in general, is a good one. Instead of this, uou can find a better lute master piece CD called the "early venetian music" or the "John Williams'Bach's lute suites" CD.
February 1, 2006These sublime works by Kapsberger, masterfully played by Paul O'Dette, convey the immediacy of the contemporary across the years. The music sounds as fresh as if it was taken directly from Kapsberger's music stand. My only quibble is with that the lute and chittarone sound miked too closely. The sound would have benefited from a little more reverberation.
August 14, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
