Comparison Recording:
E. Wallfisch, R. Tunnicliffe, P. Nicholson.
Hyperion CDA 66381
Ms. van Dael plays
these wonderful works brilliantly and
arrestingly. This is an unusual recording
in that most interpreters play these
works as trio sonatas with a basso
continuo consisting of a cello or
viola da gamba plus harpsichord, organ
or lute, rather than a single solo continuo
instrument as here. Either approach
is historically correct, but the effect
with more instruments is that one has
some interplay among the personalities
of the players which can add interest
as well as providing a more complex
sound. However Ms. van Dael manages
to keep one’s full attention all by
herself. She plays with great individuality
and musicianship, properly embellishing
and ornamenting her solo line, neither
adding too much nor too little. The
Wallfisch recording pays more attention
to the details of period instruments
and period performance style. Naturally,
the ornamentation is individual with
the artist and therefore different from
van Dael’s.
I have not cared for
van Asperen’s solo recordings but here
he performs the role of continuo player
in a completely exemplary manner providing
full harmonic support for the solo line
and at no time distracting us.
We are advised on the
liner that this is a high resolution
master recording and hence it may some
day appear as a DVD-Audio. If you are
a student of Corelli or early Baroque
violin playing, you will certainly want
both these recordings, but if you must
choose, I would recommend the Wallfisch
version as preferred, especially as
it is a complete performance of the
whole of Op. 5, including not only the
Big Hit of the set, the La Folia
variations as No. 12, but also an alternative
version of No. 9; whereas the van Dael
set so far encompasses only the first
six with no indication yet from Naxos
that the final six sonatas will be issued
by these artists.
Paul Shoemaker
Emma Jones has
also listened to this recording
Arcangelo Corelli's
opus 5 was published in 1700 as a set
of 12 'Sonate a Violino e Violone o
Cimbalo'. According to the informative
programme notes with this disc, there
is some disagreement about whether the
pieces were intended for violin and
cello alone ('Violone') or for keyboard
alone, ('o Cimbalo') or both, ('Violone
o Cimbalo'; Cello and/or keyboard).
The choice made by the present performers
is based on the similarity of the present
pieces to the developing 'Sonata da
Chiesa' style. They perform with only
keyboard instrument; in this case, Sonatas
1-3 with organ and the latter three
with harpsichord. The decision seem
apt, although the harpsichord supports
the violin better in terms of timbre.
It is less intrusive than the ultimately
dull-sounding 8' flute of the chamber
organ, and van Asperen's playing is
not as pedestrian. The temperaments
of both keyboard instruments is rather
mild.
Lucy van Dael, (professor
of baroque violin at the Amsterdam Conservatory
and concertmaster of the 'Orchestra
of the 18th Century') succeeds well
in highlighting the harmonic line and
rhythm of the music. This is especially
subtly achieved in the sonatas with
harpsichord, less so in the sonatas
with organ. Her diminutions are mostly
very beautiful, but sometimes, at their
most extreme, they compromise the melodic
line. Mention is made in the programme
notes of early editions of the works
containing notated ornamentation; to
what extent van Dael draws on these
is unclear. Tempi are very appropriate,
the quicker movements are never played
so fast (as with some Italian violinists)
as to obscure van Dael's very focused
articulation.
The booklet contains,
as mentioned, worthwhile programme notes
by Keith Anderson.
These are intelligent
performances, and well worth buying,
especially at budget price.
Emma Jones