Musique pour viole de gambe

Description

Splendor and subtlety define the art of Paolo Pandolfo, who shows that an instrument born in the 16th century, the viola da gamba, can still speak to us eloquently. As an example, here is this inspired recording that Glossa released in 1998; its title - A Solo - announces both a personal style and the incomparable presence of an instrument played without accompaniment. Pandolfo invites us on a journey through European music for the viola da gamba, from the beginnings of the Renaissance in Italy and Spain (Diego Ortiz) to its adaptation to British psychology with Tobias Hume, William Corkine and Richard Sumarte, passing through the supreme elegance of Marin Marais or M. de Machy in the era of Louis XIV. The journey ends in the German courts of the 18th century, nourished by French and Italian influences, where the art of the viola was expressed in an original way in the work of J. S. Bach (with the transcription of his Fourth Cello Suite made by Pandolfo) and in the late style of Abel, representing the swan song of the viola. Culminating in Pandolfo's moving and emotive contribution to the instrument's repertoire, A Solo is a precious demonstration of the melodic and harmonic capabilities of the viola. This recording, acclaimed by critics and long out of print, is reissued by Glossa as a testament to Paolo Pandolfo's unique and ongoing contribution to the art of musical performance.