Performer: Rolf Lislevand
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: ECM
Size: 822 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. de Visée: Prélude en ré mineur
02. de Visée: Passacaille en ré mineur
03. de Visée: Les Sylvains de Mr. Couperin
04. Lislevand: Intro Passacaille en sol mineur
05. Corbetta: Passacaille en sol mineur
06. de Visée: Prélude en la mineur
07. de Visée: La Mascarade, Rondeau
08. Corbetta: Partie de Chaconne en ut majeur
09. Corbetta: Sarabanda per la B
10. de Visée: Chaconne en la mineur
11. Corbetta: Caprice de Chaconne
12. de Visée: Chaconne en sol majeur
13. Corbetta: Folie
14. de Visée: La Muzette, Rondeau
15. Lislevand: Intro Passacaille en si mineur
16. de Visée: Passacaille en si mineur
17. Lislevand: Exit Passacaille en si mineur
18. de Visée: Sarabande en si mineur
Recorded: 2012-04
Recording Venue: Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano
In this wonderful solo album, Norwegian early music performer Rolf Lislevand turns his attention to the music of two composers from the court of Louis XIV: Robert de Visée (c. 1655-1732) and the Italian-born Francesco Corbetta (c. 1615-1681), and plays their masterpieces with historical awareness and an inventiveness which belongs to the tradition.
De Visée wrote about playing what the instruments themselves called for, advice Lislevand takes to heart, adding improvised introductions to passacaglias from both composers. He uses two contrasting instruments here, the small Baroque guitar with its sparkling, crystal-clear sonorities and the theorbo, the dark-toned and earthy king of the lutes.
In his fascinating liner notes, Lislevand reminds us that 17th century instrumental performance was often an intimate affair, with lutenists frequently playing to a dozen privileged listeners. The physical presence of the instruments and that sense of intimacy are recaptured by Manfred Eicher’s production of La Mascarade, made at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo.