Dear ones,

I received in today's post a new recording of works by S L Weiss;  this one is:

Sylvius Weiss     Lute Music II
Jakob Lindberg
BIS-CD-1534

We all are aware that Jakob, a master of the lute, has a prolific 
discography on the BIS label.  His first installment on the BIS label 
of entirely Weiss' music was released 3 years ago, and it contains 
early and middle period works, on an original 11-course instrument 
dated 1590, by Sixtus Rawolf.  That recording was recorded presumably 
in all gut.  The notes on that recording reveal a great story about 
the instrument and its reconstruction.

The present CD is on a different instrument by Michael Lowe, on a 
rather large sounding lute of 13 courses with a swan neck.

In the new CD, the excellent CD notes are composed by Tim 
Crawford.  In those notes, Tim stated very convincingly (as he did on 
this net many years ago) that 3 different types of lutes are 
appropriate for SLW's repertoire;  an 11-course lute for the early 
and some middle period works, a 13-course bass rider type lute for 
middle and some of the late repertoire, and a larger, theorbized or 
swan-necked lute for the most mature late works.

This present CD contains works of the latter, the swan/extended neck 
instrument.  He performs 2 late sonata in C major and Bb Major, and 
he separates those works with the Tombeau sur la mort de M. Comte de 
Logy.  The very length of each sonata is over a half hour long.  As 
expected, the performance is very polished and beautiful.  In 
opposition to the previous CD on a gut strung lute, the present CD 
sounds as though all synthetic and wound strings were used.  Although 
comparison of the 2 recordings by Jakob is music of the same composer 
(from different times), I find the contrast refreshing.

I recommend this recording for all Weiss lovers, in spite of Weiss 
having been well recorded in our times;  Weiss is always welcome when 
it is well-performed.

I hope for his next Weiss project, Jakob will use a "middle period" 
lute, a 13-course lute with bass rider, where the cycle of the 3 
lutes of Weiss will add more comparison and contrast.




Edward Martin
2817 East 2nd Street
Duluth, Minnesota  55812
e-mail:  [email protected]
voice:  (218) 728-1202
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871&ref=name
http://www.myspace.com/edslute




To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

Reply via email to