Music for Three, Four, and Twenty Lutes

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Lindberg, Jakob, lute
Meunier, Robert, lute
North, Nigel, lute
O'Dette, Paul, lute
With eight singers and sixteen lutenists
BIS-CD-341

There are several pieces on this recording that display the fun and virtuosity associated with this music. The Piccinini Canzone starts with beautiful counterpoint and ends finally in a rousing conclusion with a duet of fast passages.The Waelrant tune is given two excellent performances with clear voices, vocal quartet accompanied by lutes with original Dutch text and then Italian text, an all-lute version separating the two.

Those familiar with the battle tune "La Battaglia" made famous to recorder players in the Susato dance print will enjoy the lute version by Pacolini. The Tim Crawford arrangement of the Johnson masque music is a stunning tapestry of lush sound of twenty stringed instruments, including 11 lutes, mandora, guitar, bandora, and four theorboes. The tunes evoke an entrance of graceful dancers.

As always, virtuoso Paul O'Dette makes the tunes with his improvisitory top lines. It's impossible not to be impressed. May I suggest his other albums: Lord Herbert of Cherbury's Lute Book HMU 907068 and Music of Kapsberger "Il Tedesco della Tiorba" HMU 907020, where O'Dette demonstrates convincingly why he is the world's greatest lutenest. It all makes me wish for a journey back in time! R. D'Ippolito

MUSIC FOR THREE, FOUR, AND TWENTY LUTES

Terzi, Giovanni Antonio
1. Canzone a Otto Voci per suonar a 4 Liutti overo fantasia 00:03:10

Pacoloni, Giovanni
2. Passemezo di Zorzi 00:03:16

Anonymous
3. Temprar potess'io 00:04:33

Piccinini, Alessandro
4. Canzone a Tre Liuti 00:04:10

Lasso, Orlando di
5. Madonna mia pieta 00:02:02

Pacoloni, Giovanni
6. Passemezo della Battaglia 00:02:59

Rore, Cipriano de
7. Dialogo: Amor, se cosi dolce 00:05:16

Johnson, Robert
8. Dance II - Dance III 00:05:40

Parsons, Robert
9. The Songe called Trumpets 00:02:10

Vallet, Nicolas
10. Ballet - Ballet - Est - ce Mars - Courante de Mars - Un jour de la semaine - Allon aux noces - Gaillarde 00:10:21

Waelrant, Hubert
11. Als ick u vinde 00:03:34
12. O Villanella 00:01:21

Pacoloni, Giovanni
13. Padoana - Saltarello 00:04:06

Total Playing Time: 00:52:38
Recorded July 8 & 10, 1985 at Boxgrove Priory, Chichester, England UK