Search - Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger, Paul O'Dette :: Baroque Lute Music, Vol. 1

Baroque Lute Music, Volume I: Kapsberger

Amber Rahm | Rochester, Vermont United States | 12/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This amazingly inexpensive recording is
excellent and beautifully clear. Paul O'Dette is
superb as usual. Here he plays the chitarrone
(also called the theorbo): a wonderful,
deep-voiced stringed instrument (rather like a
very long necked lute). On some pieces he
plays the ten-course lute. Mr. O'Dette has a
very fine musical ability and he also has
written knowledgeably about the music in the
accompanying booklet. The music of Giovanni
Girolamo Kapsberger is certainly overdue for
revival, as is the sound of these earlier
instruments. This delightful recording is
welcome indeed."

Brilliant value for money!

04/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beautifully and expressively played, with articulation and phrasing as clear as crystal, and a bigger sound than lutes on CDs usually have (these are large instruments, a chitarrone and a 10-course lute). I also found the recording quality excellent, particularly if, as I do, you like a "close-in" sound. This same album is marketed elsewhere under another title and cover at twice the price (I checked the contents track for track: they're identical). I'm not surprised by the rave reviews quoted on the back. If you like baroque lute and want a generous portion (70 minutes), buy this! Why's it so cheap?"

Can Only Be Described With Superlatives

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 04/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Baroque Lute Music, Vol. 1: Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (c. 1580 ? 1651): 25 pieces for lute or chitarrone/theorbo, played on copies of historical instruments by Paul O?Dette.

Recorded in November, 1989, at Bethel United Church of Christ, Manchester, Michigan.

Harmonia Mundi USA, originally published as HMU 907020, now re-issued in the Classical Express series as HMCX 3957020. Total time: 69?27?.



Paul O?Dette has been, for many years, one of a handful of world-class lutenists, combining superb technical skills and high musicality with musicological research. This CD with music by the little-known Kapsberger, who apparently spent most of his career in Rome and was, in his day, one of the most famous composers, provides ample evidence of O?Dette?s abilities and can only be described in superlatives. The ?Fanfare? critic quoted on the cover of the re-issue said it all: ?This is superb music, melodious, with just enough counterpoint, harmonically and rhythmically cogent, nicely spaced with runs and trills, wonderfully apt for the instrument. O?Dette, for my money the world?s finest lutenist, does the music full justice, and the sound is first-rate.? I am normally sceptical when CD companies quote such praise, but in this case, the proof of the pudding was in the eating: A listening session in front of my loudspeakers had me enraptured. I am not a lutenist, only a fan of early music, but this disc (along with Lutz Kirchhof?s recording of Bach?s complete works for lute on Sony Vivarte) would be enough to turn me into a lute fanatic! O?Dette?s helpful notes indicate where to listen particularly carefully; and I also found it highly satisfying to compare and contrast the sound of the two instruments he plays (the chitarrone obviously has resonance bass strings, sounding deeper and fuller). And the recorded sound is absolutely glorious. The folks at Harmonia Mundi must have been in an exceptionally generous mood when they decided to re-issue this disc at budget price!

"