Gibbons, O: Pavan Lord Salisbury MB18

“When it comes to artful programming, David Greilsammer is a past master...Greilsammer can be infuriatingly self-conscious at times. But persevere: he's also an illuminating companion full of pellucid insights, studied elegance and, in the contemporary works, as compelling when negotiating nocturnal Feldman as he is viscerally persuasive conjuring up Porat's edgy verve.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2013 ****

“Greilsammer assembles four 'mini-sets', each containing three works. The first and third pieces are by Baroque keyboard composers, while the second is by a late-20th- or earl 21st-century composer...Usually such programming ideas seem pretentious or sound forced but Greilsammer's stylistic juxtapositions mostly work...In all, a stimulating, outstandingly executed and superbly engineered programme.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2012

“Daniel-Ben Pienaar's performance are quite simply stunning. The instrument he plays matters much less than his musicianship, which is evident at every turn. His touch is light and sure, his sense of timing in tune with the music, whether between chords and notes, motifs, phrases or sections of a piece, and his feel for tempo astonishing in its breadth...” Gramophone Magazine, November 2007

“an excellent anthology of his keyboard works… an excellent disc by any standards.” Gramophone Magazine

"an inspired concept...outstanding in every respect" - BBC Music Magazine (Disc of the Month)

“The whole assortment makes an ideal introduction to one of England's finest composers.…” BBC Music Magazine

“Beautifully performed and finely recorded, this selection of Gibbons's music is especially attractive for its variety. At its richest it presents writing for voice and viols combined, five parts to each, or for viols alone, sometimes in six parts. In lightest, most transparent texture there's a charming piece for two viols. Three keyboard instruments are used for solos: virginals, harpsichord and organ. A soprano also sings solos to viol accompaniment. Moods and styles vary correspondingly. The Masks and Alman for virginals have a high-spirited, almost popular manner; the Fifth Fantasia includes some unusual chromaticism and harmonic developments that for a while almost anticipate Purcell.
Tessa Bonner sings with unvibrant purity; but most striking here is the pronunciation.
It's one of the distinguishing marks of this curiously named group, Red Byrd, that they sing such music with vowel sounds modified to fit theories about the English in which it would originally have been sung. Thus the 'daintie fine bird' tells 'oi sing and doy', and the 'u' acquires a sort of umlaut in I weigh not fortune'sfrown, 'weigh' and 'frown' also having a measure of rusticity. Perhaps it's a good idea, but it does increase the desirability of printed texts in the booklet.
The instrumental music is finely played, the viols avoiding any imputation of belonging to the squeeze-and-scrape school, and Timothy Roberts's keyboard solos are particularly skilful, in legato and fluency.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010