CLASSICAL AND BEYOND sackbuts take us back to the Renaissance – Kuniko, a profoundly brilliant virtuoso at we are listening to compositions by Michael home on both keyboard and percussion Praetorius, Heinrich Isaac and many others. instruments. Still, even the fact that she has Angelo Maria Fioré – Complete Cello What is surprising is the Chorale (with sack- performed and recorded the music of Iannis Sonatas buts and dulcian) by none other than J.S. Xenakis and Steve Reich could not have been Elinor Frey; Suzie LeBlanc; Lorenzo Bach. Mind you, Bach’s father, godfather and sufficient for approaching these masterworks Ghielmi; Esteban La Rota father-in-law were all city trumpeters. on Bach: Solo Works for Marimba. Passacaille 1026 (elinorfrey.com) Ten two highly popular Renaissance Approaching the Prelude No.1 in C Major tunes. Joan Kimball is solo bagpipes player in from the Well-Tempered Clavier, a work ! Oh my, this is an Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen: her intense unequalled in the profligacy of its invent- elegant recording! interpretation is balanced out by Priscilla iveness, sets the tone for this exquisitely From the simple Herreid’s perky recorder playing and, indeed, sculpted music by Kuniko. Te result is a opening bars of by some spirited crumhorn playing in the fascinating opening, with its sprightly dance- Fioré’s G Major Cello other variations. like passages and concise melody creating Sonata, the highest Te second variations are of Tandernaken myriad resonances and perspectives for the calibre of music- op den Rijn; no bagpipes or crumhorns but cycles of Cello Suites and Violin Sonatas making is established the mellow and ethereal tones of the recorder. that follow. Here the mallets lead the ear, and doesn’t waver for the duration of the disc. In particular, enjoy Antone Brumel’s two- cherishing motivic snippets, highlighting Tere are three strands to the program: the part scoring and the deft playing once again arresting harmonic progressions with crystal- complete sonatas for cello by the little-known of Herreid and Kimball. Tis set is perhaps line articulation. Kuniko’s enormous insight cellist of the late 17th and early 18th century, the most involved – yet enjoyable – on this into Bach and her own limitless invent- Angelo Maria Fioré; a half-dozen arias by CD. Play the set to anyone who still believes iveness make for muscular, exhilaratingly contemporaries of Fioré which feature cello recorders are for schoolkids! voiced and contrapuntally lucid perform- obbligato lines; and two pieces from the same And so to A solis ortus, variations commen- ances of the solo works for cello and violin, in period for solo harpsichord. cing with one by Coelius Sedulius for two which harmony and counterpoint are implied Te handsome CD booklet features a well- recorders which would grace any modern through frequent spreading of component written, substantial essay by Elinor Frey on church (Sedulius died in 450 – early music notes. A bedazzling set of discs, singing with the early history of the cello, the life – such as composition with a vengeance…). Recorders innate beauty. we know it – of Fioré, and a detailed context- again hold sway courtesy of, inter alia, Raul da Gama ualization of the works on the program. Te a Praetorius Chorale played on eight(!) cello sonatas themselves are pleasant, have a recorders, and another Chorale by J.S. Bach. Bruckner 9 great deal of variety and are clearly idiomatic- German dances, as may be expected from Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Riccardo ally suited to the instrument. Fioré was a few the late Renaissance, feature heavily. In one Muti years younger than his celebrated contem- suite shawms and sackbuts can be heard CSO-Resound CSOR 901 1701 (cso.org) porary Arcangelo Corelli, and his sonatas – at separately and in harmony, the former in the their best – share a drive and musical interest Scheidt Allemande with deep rich tone, the ! Tere is no lack with Corelli’s early trio sonatas. latter in the Praetorius Passameze. La Volta of fine record- Te arias are by Paolo Magni, Francesco lives up to its name, Praetorius placing his ings of Bruckner’s Ballarotti and other rather obscure Italians of stamp on this breathtaking popular dance. Symphony No.9, the mid-Baroque and have themes of – what Te CD is rounded off with another suite a work left incom- else? – the raptures and torments of love. Te of German dances, dominated by Praetorius. plete at the time of his highlight is Magni’s É caro il tormento soave Joan Kimball arranges Ballet des Aveugles for death in 1896. Among il dolor featuring sophisticated and truly bagpipes and shawm, a skirling effort with American orches- moving interplay between Suzie Leblanc’s many variations, followed by the relatively tras, the Chicago voice and Frey’s cello. delicate Padouana by Johann Schein played Symphony has long been renowned for its Te performances throughout are well- on sackbuts. Tis dignified piece well deserves performances of Bruckner’s music, and it conceived, leaving ample room for spontan- its popularity among early music enthusiasts. was the CSO who actually gave the North eity and fancy. Kudos to Lorenzo Ghielmi And this CD is well worthy of an audience American premiere in 1904. So this latest and Esteban La Rotta for their warm and wider than just the latter. recording featuring the CSO conducted by classy support. Michael Schwartz Riccardo Muti seems particularly fitting. Larry Beckwith Tis is not Muti’s first foray into Bruckner Bach – Solo works for marimba – he has also recorded Symphonies Four and Back Before Bach Kuniko Seven – but from the forbidding opening Piffaro The Renaissance Band Linn Records CKD 585 (linnrecords.com) measures of Symphony No.9, the orchestra Navona Records NV6106 displays a deep engagement with this monu- (navonarecords.com) ! Playing any clas- mental score. Te first movement – 26 sical music on the minutes in length – is majestic and dignified, ! Just one look at marimba would have with CSO’s outstanding sound displaying rich the photographs of been unthinkable tonal colours and a full dynamic range. We Piffaro’s musicians – before 1892. After all could only have hoped for a little more prom- and from the sleeve it was only then that inence of the renowned CSO brass section, notes the range of the instrument was which at times seems too muted. instruments played equipped with addi- Te strident Scherzo has a rightful mood of – will confirm this tional notes to include the chromatic scale defiance, Muti approaching it with a suitable ensemble’s sheer by adding another row of sound bars, akin amount of intensity. diversity of expertise. to black keys on the piano. However, playing Te third and final Adagio is all serenity, Listen to the 38(!) tracks and you will appre- Bach on the marimba – if not unthinkable – with Muti and the CSO invoking a true sense ciate the exuberance of their playing. would still be enormously thought-provoking, of nobility. Even without the final move- From the outset the shawms and but not challenging enough, it seems, for ment, Muti instills a satisfying sense of thewholenote.com September 2017 | 75.