Frescobaldi: Toccata nona

The programme on this disc consists of a selection of Italian 17th-centruy vocal duets and trios from the Whitelocke manuscript, with Carissimi’s large-scale cantata I Naviganti at its heart. These duets and trios form a kind of refined entertainment music for intimate occasions: emotionally charged, yet playful songs about love and passion intended for an aristocratic audience. The combination of simple yet elegant melodies and colourful, sometimes even bold, harmonies lends these songs a particular sweetness which is here brought out by a close-knit group of some of the finest performers in the field of period performance today, with Emma Kirkby, Peter Harvey, Susanne Rydén and Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann. They are joined by the Danish harpsichordist Lars Ulrik Mortensen, who also adds variety to the programme with instrumental solos by Frescobaldi.

St Cecilia’s Hall is the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, dating from 1763. In 1968 it became home to the Raymond Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments. This already world famous collection was further enhanced in 2005 when the University of Edinburgh received the extraordinary gift of 22 historic keyboard instruments from Rodger and Lynne Mirrey; the galleries at St Cecilia’s Hall now house one of the two most comprehensive collections of early keyboard instruments in the world.

“As a champion of the instruments in the Raymond Russell Collection in Edinburgh, John Kitchen’s previous recordings have drawn universal praise. This latest addition to his discography is destined, I am sure, to enhance his formidable reputation.” Early Music Review, August 2009

Richard Lester was described both by The Times and the Daily Telegraph as ‘one of our leading players’ and more recently acclaimed as ‘one of the greatest early music keyboard players of this or any other time.’ In 1981, Sir William Glock, former BBC controller of music invited him to perform a solo harpsichord recital at the Bath International Festival. Countless engagements at major international music festivals followed including the Bruges festival, Bath Bach festival and concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and in 2007 a sell out solo recital at London's South Bank Centre.

Cardinal Francesco Barberini, Frescobaldi’s most important patron owned many instruments housed in the Pallazzo della Cancelleria, his residence as vicechancellor of the Church of San Lorenzo in Damso. Giovanni Battista Boni da Cortona was a harpsichord and organ builder, tuner and repairer who worked for the Barberini family and he features prominently in their archival records. The Cardinal’s inventories amongst other instruments, also mention a chamber organ, a spinet and two harpsichords - one with three registers and another with a single register built by Giovanni Boni, who specialised in making instruments with split keys. The instrument played on this CD is one of three surviving single - brass strung harpsichords made by Boni around 1619. It is a fascinating probability that during his employment in the Cardinal’s household in 1634, Frescobaldi performed on this harpsichord.

Richard Lester was described both by The Times and the Daily Telegraph as ‘one of our leading players’ and more recently acclaimed as ‘one of the greatest early music keyboard players of this or any other time.’ In 1981, Sir William Glock, former BBC controller of music invited him to perform a solo harpsichord recital at the Bath International Festival. Countless engagements at major international music festivals followed including the Bruges festival, Bath Bach festival and concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and in 2007 a sell out solo recital at London's South Bank Centre.

It is tempting to see the history of music in Frescobaldi's time as a kind of Darwinian struggle between the conservative, rule-bound traditions of the sixteenth century and the freely expressive innovations of the early seventeenth century, or between the prima pratica of contrapuntal rigour and dry, intellectual structures, and the seconda pratica of the expressive madrigal, toccata and sonata with its emphasis on personal expression and freedom. For Frescobaldi, however, the two conflicting styles of composition amount to two facets of the same musical coin, which both shine brilliantly thanks to harpsichordist Hank Knox’s riveting performance on a magnificent 17th-century Italian instrument that is part of Kenneth Gilbert's collection of early harpsichords presently housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Chartres.