Monica Hall wrote:
Don't know whether the rest of you have already noticed this but Carpe
Diem have recently released a beautiful recording of music from
Corbetta's 1671 Guitarre royale played by Rosario Conte - the best
recording available now Antonio Ligios recording is no longer
available.
For some reason the first suite reminds me of a very old recording of
Schaffer's on Baroque lute of a suite in G minor by Bittner.
Someone said the recording is 'close' and you can hear fingers on
strings - other than playing the notes! - and indeed the man himself
breathing. (My wife thinks he looks like the actor, Patrick Stewart).
He surely gets a very nice sound from the guitar and his brushing of
chords is very delicate (some players are rather raspy) and lots of
ornaments. The Prelude of this first suite is quite slow with familiar
little phrases but Rosario gives his all. The Allemande has a little
percussive sound at the beginning which happens at the repeat? Seems
very well played to me. The Courante sounds fine to me too but I agree
with others that the Sarabande is too slow. The Baroque lute can be
played super slow (as it were) but I'm not sure this very slow tempo
suits the guitar, or even this particular sarabande. A fine gigue (which
is reminiscent of something else) and a swingless Passacaille to end.
Stuart
Monica
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