Discovery of Passion
Dmitry Sinkovsky (violin, counter-tenor)
Dorothee Oberlinger (recorder)
Ensemble 1700
Rec. 2019, Chamber Music Hall of Deutschlandfunk, Cologne, Germany
Reviewed as a stereo 16/44 download with pdf booklet from Outhere
DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 19439711162 [75:12]
The early decades of the 17th century were an exciting time, especially in Italy. In 1600 the first operas were performed, composers started to write music for solo voices in a declamatory style in which the text was at the centre, and the music served as a way to express the affetti they epitomized. This also affected instrumental music; composers translated the principles of the new vocal style to the instruments of their time, especially the violin and the cornett. In the 16th century instruments played a minor role, either supporting or replacing voices in sacred music, but now instrumental music was given a much more important place in the musical landscape. The many collections of instrumental music which were printed in those days or circulated in manuscript, bear witness to that.
The title of the two collections which Dario Castello published in 1621 and 1629 respectively reveals the nature of the new instrumental music: Sonate concertate in stil moderno per sonar nel organo overo spineta con diversi instrumenti. The word concertate refers to the independence of the instrumental parts which comes especially to the fore in the solo episodes. The word moderno indicates that Castello wanted to move away from the tradition which was embodied in the most common form of instrumental music of the stile antico, the canzona, which was derived from vocal models (chanson) and was dominated by counterpoint. The mention of organ and spinet - the latter word can be interpreted as a stringed keyboard instrument in general - refers to the basso continuo which was the foundation of every piece for an instrumental ensemble. Lastly, the use of the words 'diverse instruments' shows that the choice of instruments was - at least partly - left to the interpreters.
Castello is one of the composers represented on the disc under review here, whose title sums up the feature of this time. Other composers on the programme are all pretty familiar. In fact, one of the disappointing aspects of this recording is the lack of adventure in the way the programme has been put together. As fas as I can see all the pieces have been recorded before, and a considerable number are frequently performed in concerts. Among them are the Sonata I by Castello, Tarquinio Merula's Ciaccona, Fontana's Sonata II and Uccellini's Aria V. The two vocal items by Monteverdi are among his best-known and Tarquinio Merula's Folle è ben che si crede is quite popular among singers in the field of early music.
As I mentioned before, the choice of instruments is often left to the performers. In this recording the recorder (played by Dorothee Oberlinger) takes a dominant role. It is impossible to say what instruments may have been preferred by the composers. However, it seems that the recorder did not take that prominent a role in musical life as it did in the renaissance period. Castello's two collections of sonatas may well be an indication: in many sonatas he specifies the instruments he prefers, but none of them refers to the recorder. He usually confines himself to the indication that two parts have to be played on soprani. The violin and the cornett were the favourite instruments in the treble range at the time. That does not mean that the recorder is not a legitimate option. The programme proves that it can deal rather well with the music of the early 17th century.
The other treble instrument here is the violin (played by Dmitri Sinkovsky), for which much brilliant music was written in the early decades of the 17th century. The programme includes just one piece where it is on its own: Fonatana's Sonata II. That is also the best item on this disc as
fas as the violin is concerned. The combination of recorder and violin does
not work very well here. The recorder often overshadows the violin. Whereas
Oberlinger produces a rather penetrating tone, Sinkovsky's violin playing is
too restrained, especially with regard to dynamics; the dynamic range is rather small. I just wonder whether the combination of recorder and violin was common in Italy, in the early 17th century and even in later times. It is telling that in Vivaldi's oeuvre one does not find any trio sonata for recorder and violin.
The performances of each player individually is rather good, but the ensemble and the balance between the instruments is less than ideal. Oberlinger plays Monteverdi's madrigal Hor che'l ciel in an arrangement for recorder and basso continuo. This piece is so strongly declamatory in nature that this arrangement does not work very well. I am not very pleased by the vocal contributions of Sinkovsky, who also is a professional alto singer. His incessant vibrato pretty much spoils the vocal items. Lastly, it is a mystery to me why Marco Testori plays a cello built around 1820. Apart from its late date of
construction, a cello as we know it - assuming that it is indeed a 'baroque cello' - was not known in the first half of the 17th century. It was mainly the viola da gamba or the bass violin that were used as string bass.
On balance, I am rather disappointed with this disc. The programme is full of interesting and captivating pieces, and even though most of them are rather familiar, this could have been a great disc, also given the skills of the interpreters. However, for reasons I have described, the performances fail to grip my attention.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
Contents
Salomone ROSSI (1570-c1630)
Sinfonia 11 in Eco [1:26]
Dario CASTELLO (1602-1631)
Sonata I à due soprani (introduced by a prelude on the harpsichord) [5:18]
Giovanni BASSANO (1558-1617)
Ricercata III [2:26]
Tarquinio MERULA (1595-1665)
Ciaconna [3:23]
Giovanni Battista VITALI (1632-1692)
Passa Galli [2:19]
Giovanni Paolo CIMA (c1575-1630)
Sonata à 4 [3:34]
Pietro Paolo MELLI (1579-1625)
Capriccio cromatico [2:39]
Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
Si dolce è'l tormento (SV 332) [4:11]
Hor ch'ell ciel e la terra (SV 147), arr Maximilian Volbers for recorder and bc [6:25]
Tarquinio MERULA
La Catterina [3:42]
Giovanni Battista FONTANA (c1571-1630)
Sonata II [8:09]
Claudio MONTEVERDI
L'incoronazione di Poppea (E pur'io torno) [5:34]
Francesco ROGNONI TAEGGIO (1570-1626)
Io son ferito (Palestrina) [5:29]
Giovanni SPADI (17th C)
Anchor che col partire (Rore) [4:07]
Girolamo FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643)
Canzona II detta la Bernardinia [3:29]
Michelangelo ROSSI (1602-1656)
Toccata VII [4:40]
Tarquinio MERULA
Folle è ben che si crede [3:57]
Marco UCCELLINI (1603-1680)
Aria V sopra la Bergamasca
