Frescobaldi: Partite sopra Ciaccona

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.

Three important and characteristic instruments played a unique role in the endlessly rich repertoire of the early Italian baroque: the arpa doppia (double harp), the chitarrone (a kind of theorbo), and the chitarra spagnola (Spanish guitar). Whether playing virtuosic solo music, whether lending a simple continuo accompaniment, or joining voices in contrapuntal ensembles, these plucked and strummed strings create a spicy aural experience which relates to both senses of the Italian verb \0x2522pizzicare\0x2522 (to bite or pinch). Whether you are thinking of the plucking of a string, or the addition of \0x2522un pizzico di sale\0x2522 to a delicious meal, let Pizzico stand for the delight of all the senses.