Red Priest Recordings
www.wyastone.co.uk/all-labels/red-priest.html
have
just released a terrific new
recording featuring recorder player, Piers Adams www.piersadams.com and harpsichordist/organist, David Wright http://redpriest.zooglelabs.com/biography
of works by a diverse collection of 17th
century composers who often pushed the boundaries of musical ideas.
 |
| RP013 |
Entitled Wild Men of
the Seicento – or the sixteen hundreds – this new disc opens with the Bohemian
virtuoso violinist and arch innovator, Heinrich
Biber’s (1644-1704) Sonata No.3. David
Wright provides a wonderfully florid opening for harpsichord to which Piers
Adams adds some sumptuous recorder sounds, weaving beautifully and freely
around the harpsichord line in the most virtuosic style with which we have come
to expect from him. There are moments of terrific rhythmic bounce as well as
the most brilliant fast, intricate passages of astounding brilliance in this
ever changing sonata. Wright brings playing of terrific panache with passages
of fine breadth as well as restrained poise.
Adams achieves some lovely sonorities in the longer, slower phrases
before a fast and furious, mad rush to the coda.
The Italian maestro di cappella at Modena Cathedral, Marco Uccellini (1603-1680) is a much
lesser known figure. David Wright brings a rather dark and solemn opening to
his Sonata Nona with Adams soon
adding a slow, mellifluous dark hued theme weaving beautifully around the organ
part with some terrific decorations.
The Italian composer and lutenist Andrea Falconieri (c. 1585-1656) also worked in Modena as well as
Parma and Genoa. In four movements, Wright brings a well sprung harpsichord
opening to the Brando Dicho El Melo
of his Dance Suite before Adams
joins to dance forward in this joyous section, the two creating some lovely
harmonies. Both players lead forward in the slower Corrente Dicha La Cuella, a most lovely piece that, although not
English, has a kind of Elizabethan charm. Il
Spiritillo Brando has a stomping good tune, rhythmically pointed as it
races quickly ahead with fabulous playing from both these artists. Brando Dicho El Melo (reprise) gains in
tempo as it moves into a return of the opening.
The French composer, Jean-Henri
d'Anglebert (1629-1691) was harpsichordist to King Louis XIV. David Wright brings us his Prelude in G minor for harpsichord with
a slow, broad opening beautifully laid out, finding some wonderful sonorities and
harmonies as the piece develops.
The Italian composer and violinist Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli (c.1630-1670) was employed in the
Spanish Chapel Royale. Piers Adams brings a lovely wavering theme
to open his Sonata 'La Cesta' over
David Wright’s broad rippling textures. The music rises through some terrific
passages before increasing, with Adams bringing more finely fluent and agile
playing. Midway there is a slow moment for harpsichord that introduces a
melancholy theme that is taken up by the recorder – quite beautiful – before
soon gaining momentum to race forward with some fabulously intricate playing to
a florid coda.
Jacob van Eyck
(1590-1657) was a Dutch carillonist and composer working in Utrecht. His Boffons brings a nicely pointed, staccato
recorder line over an organ drone that develops its own rhythm. Adams develops
the theme with intricate decorations, quite wonderfully played, with incredible
dexterity and fluency.
The English composer John
Bull (c.1563-1628) was one of the leading keyboard virtuosos of his time.
His Fantasia in D minor for harpsichord opens
with a series of three note motifs that seem to predict the opening of Bach’s
famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor but immediately develops its own way
through some richly built sonorities. It develops some fine passages, full of
freely developed invention with Wright building some terrific passages with
supreme fluency and panache – wonderfully done.
The Spanish composer Bartolomeo
de Selma y Salaverde (1570-1638) is represented by his Canzona Seconda opened by Wright
who is very soon joined by Adams in a perky theme that occasionally finds a
more reflective moment. It develops some incredibly fluent, intricate passages
for recorder that are nothing short of remarkable in the hands of Adams.
Giovanni Battista
Fontana (d. 1630) was an Italian composer and violinist who left an important collection of sonatas. There is a slow
opening for recorder and organ to
his Sonata Seconda with Adams adding
lovely embellishments and bringing lovely sonorities. There is some fine
accompaniment from Wright occasionally echoing the recorder line as the music
moves through some varying passages often faster and rhythmic to a beautifully
turned coda.
David Wright brings another Fantasia by John Bul, this time his Fantasia
in A minor for harpsichord that has a slow, broad opening, gently and
slowly revealing the theme with some lovely harmonies.
The Italian composer and wind player, Dario Castello (c.1590 - c.1658) is believed to have worked in
Venice in the early part of the 17th century. His Sonata Seconda opens with a quizzical little
theme for harpsichord before the recorder joins and the music moves ahead with
some faster bursts played with fine dexterity by both these players. Their ensemble
is quite superb as the music moves through some fast and intricate passages
full of joy and energy. Part way the harpsichord heralds a slower, broader
section with these two creating fine textures before building through some
elaborate passages to the coda.
The Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) is probably one of the best known
names here. His Sonata in C major Op.5
No.3 opens with a finely shaped Adagio
that slowly builds through some wonderfully fluent passages to the lovely
coda. There is razor sharp phrasing in the energetic Allegro, superbly handled by both these players with some fine
flourishes from Adams - superbly done. The broad and flowing Adagio brings more fine decorations with
little touches from Adams that lifts the music. There is terrific fast
intricate phrasing from Adams in the brief Allegro
that leaves one quite breathless before a Giga
that has a fine rhythmic bounce, moving through some terrific passages to the
slower coda.
Make no mistake, for all the fun and good humour in these
terrific performances there is musicianship of a high order. With a first rate
recording this is a stunning disc.
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