Search - Carlo [Composer] Farina, Michelangelo Rossi, Biagio Marini :: Capriccio Stravagante, Vol. 1

A Gem of a Baroque Album

phrixus | Seattle, WA USA | 03/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must disagree almost completely with the previous reviewer. This is one of my favorite 17th-century albums-to a great degree because the sounds of the instruments are so expressive. If I may be permitted to speculate, I think that the reviewer's ear is unused to the characteristic sound of `period' instruments (gut strings and so forth). The sound is undoubtedly grittier, reedier and more insistent than the smooth, homogeneous sound that we associate with more recent music. In fact, the development of modern instruments was driven mainly by the desire to produce a harmonious blend in large orchestral ensembles. But to achieve that sonic homogeneity, instruments such as the violin were profoundly denatured-with a consequent loss of the expressive potential exploited by earlier composers. Far from being an exercise in `archeology,' period-instrument performance makes this repertoire more vibrant and exciting than it could ever be on modern instruments! My only small reservation about this album concerns the pieces for solo organ: in my opinion, they are a bit too harsh by comparison with the rest of the program."