Joachim Held is currently one of the best lute players in the world and received the 2006 Echo Klassik Prize for his CD Delightful Lute-Pleasure (HAEN98232). In the 16th and 17th centuries the concept of “melancholy” was seen as a deeply poetic element of soaring ecstasy with the power to inspire even better deeds. Held performs works by Holborne, Dowland, Byrd, Johnson and Cutting.
Awards Issue 2010
“Held's interpretations are steady but subtly phrased, sparingly ornamented and never indulge in extremes of tempo or rubato. With this recording Held offers us fresh insights into the soundscape of private music-making in the late Elizabethan era.”
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