Passereau: Il est bel et bon

Star lutenist Paul O’Dette turns his focus on Marco dall’Aquila, a composer of remarkable individuality and creativity. In the lute’s transition from late-medieval style into fully formed Renaissance idiom, Marco was a pivotal figure and his trademark style brisé influenced the development of instrumental music for the next 200 years.

“If the lute could be said to have a star performer, then Paul O'Dette must surely be it. He's the most sought-after lute performer at music festivals round the world, his recordings are always showered with awards, and he has a virtuoso touch and musical intelligence that I've rarely seen matched.” The Daily Telegraph

"Nestled at the foot of the Gran Sasso, in the rugged Apennines northeast of Rome, lies the picturesque medieval city of L’Aquila. In 1569, the city commissioned a series of triumphal arches decorated with portraits of the most important citizens of L’Aquila in honor of the arrival of Margaret of Austria, who claimed governorship over the region. Two musicians were included among the most celebrated natives, Serafino Aquilano, the famous song stylist and lutenist of the late 15th-century, and the lute virtuoso Marco dall’Aquila (c.1480-1544). Marco appears to have spent most of his professional career in Venice. In 1505, he obtained a privilege from the Venetian Signoria to publish lute music, but Ottaviano Petrucci seems to have objected and Marco’s publication apparently never appeared but is now housed in the Bavarian State Library, Munich Mus Ms. 266. The pieces included here represent a selection from Munich 266, as well as the three works included in Casteliono’s print, arranged into sets alternating Ricercars or Fantasias with intabulations and dances as suggested by various 16th-century sources. The dances have also been arranged into suites, either involving variations of the same dance, or groups of dances of different meters and characters. Although not all of these works are attributed to Marco in the manuscript, they are all contained in a single fascicle in which the anonymous works are wedged in between works bearing Marco’s name. At 3:32 am on April 6, 2009, a powerful earthquake struck L’Aquila, destroying much of the historic town center and many of the beautiful medieval villages that surround the city. The producers and I originally planned to make this recording in L’Aquila, but when this proved impossible, we chose a medieval church near Capestrano, 45 kilometers south of L’Aquila. Shortly before our arrival it was discovered the church had also sustained structural damage and required immediate repairs. At the last minute, the Castello Piccolomini in Capestrano was kindly made available to us by the mayor, Antonio D’Alfonso. While the acoustics of the Castello are perhaps more reverberant than one is accustomed to hearing on lute recordings it is nevertheless a venerable edifice that Marco may well have known, and it lends a special air of historical presence to the sound. This recording is dedicated to the victims of the earthquake, those kind and brave Aquilani whose richly distinctive culture has nourished my exploration of Marco’s music for the past decade." Paul O’Dette, Capestrano, (AQ), 3 August 2009

A live and televised recording from this year's BBC Proms performance on 5th August by the most famous a cappella group ever: the King's Singers. Regularly performing in excess of 100 concerts every season complemented by recording and teaching, The King's Singers delight audiences around the world with their incomparable musicianship, charm and wit.With the recent album release Landscape and Time having been described as possessing "singing of rare distinction", and "stunningly high musical standards", they have maintained their place at the apex of a cappella singing, and are counted amongst the world's elite classical performers. Continuing Signum's release series in celebration of the group's 40th Anniversary year, Simple Gifts (SIGCD121) and a 5-CD ‘best of’ (SIGCD120), this performance was in many ways a retrospective of the groups musical history, encompassing some of the earliest arrangements that the original line-up performed right up to contemporary works that they recently commissioned. Available on CD and DVD, the DVD includes extra interviews with the group from Suzy Klein and Gareth Malone, star of BBC series The Choir, and can also be enjoyed in 5.1 surround sound.

CONCERT REVIEW:

"In an exquisitely programmed concert, there was music ranging from the Renaissance to the present, including the opening selection of Poulenc's witty “Chansons françaises" and various Victorian parlour songs "in the biggest Victorian parlour ever built." …the pure quality of the vocal balance is quite extraordinary. The King's Singers had travelled back in time some 400 years (who needs Dr Who at the Proms?). Then followed an example of the many works the group has commissioned, John McCabe's haunting evocation of American wastelands, "Scenes in America deserta", based on the writings of architectural historian Reyner Banham. McCabe took his bow. The evening ended with folksongs arranged by Gordon Langford and members of the group, Bob Chilcott (who left in 1997) and current baritone Philip Lawson. Langford's "Widdicombe" Fair played to the group's effortless resource of funny voices and genial comedy. The encore was Arthur Sullivan's arrangement of "The Long Day Closes", apposite for a concert finishing at fifteen minutes short of midnight and perfectly judged in this performance." Classical Source