The composer whose
music is presented on this disc is a
strident reminder of the enormous vulnerability
musicians have in relation to their
hands.
Jacqueline Du Pré’s
multiple sclerosis robbed her of digital
facility, and finally her life. Neurological
disorder dystonia deprived Leon Fleisher
of functionality in his right hand for
more than three decades. An accident
severely damaged the right arm of Julian
Bream and was predicted to destroy function
in his right hand, although later he
overcame this.
Silvius Leopold Weiss
(1686-1750), the foremost lutenist of
his time, was victim of a bizarre occurrence
that rendered him unable to play the
lute for almost a year. In 1772 a French
violinist bit his thumb so savagely
that the first joint was almost totally
severed!
A composer whose work
is confined to a single genre is bound
to be considered an interesting specialist
only and suffer from commensurate lack
of recognition. Weiss is no exception
and only now is becoming recognized
as one of the most important German
composers of the first half of the 18th
Century.
An exact contemporary
of J.S. Bach, Weiss is unfortunate to
be in the shadow of one of the greatest
composers of all time. The shadow cast
by Bach is a long one affecting such
remarkable talents as Handel, Rameau,
Telemann, François Couperin and
Domenico Scarlatti to name but the most
eminent.
To compound this invidious
position Weiss wrote only for an obsolete
instrument. His music is in tablature,
an arcane form of notation that demands
reconstruction of historically accurate
instruments and produces unique challenges
in execution of the music. Only in the
past three decades has the general listener
had access that enables appreciation
of the subtleties and nuances of this
highly imaginative and sensitive composer.
One could be excused
for assuming that the lute is the predecessor
of the classical guitar which it was
not, the guitar’s genesis being more
aligned with the vihuela. However much
of the lute repertoire transcribes well
to the guitar and it is on this instrument
that it is often more frequently heard
than on the original.
It was the great British
guitarist Julian Bream who did much
to champion the renaissance of the lute.
Bream’s playing on the lute embodies
the same consummate musicianship as
is evidenced in his guitar playing but
the former is less popular among "purists".
Some say that it sounds too much like
his guitar playing, and others are uncomfortable
with innovations employed in the construction
of his instruments when compared to
original designs. The instrument played
by Bream is a Renaissance Lute. Different
versions may have up to ten courses
of strings in contrast to the later
baroque (D minor) lute employed on the
review disc which has up to 14 courses.
This new release on
Naxos is the sixth volume in a series.
A first class lutenist, Mr. Barto gives
a polished performance that demonstrates
strong empathy for the composer. This
quality is always highly relevant to
any performance. In such a specialty
area it is of particular significance.
The Sonata No. 45 is
quite delightful and reflects the Italian
influence that Weiss acquired in that
country during the period 1708-14 when
he was in the service of Polish former
royal family. It has been described
as one of Weiss’s crowning achievements,
and therefore among the greatest works
for the instrument from any period.
This recording establishes
yet another dimension of association
between the lute and the guitar. Bonnie
Silver and Norbert Kraft, who have together
worked on most of the production and
technical management of the excellent
Naxos series for classical guitar, performed
the same support for the review disc.
Little wonder that it is "spot-on."
Those baroque lute
enthusiasts who have enjoyed the first
five volumes of lute sonatas by Weiss
will find volume six irresistible. For
those who may not have yet sampled the
delights of Weiss, this new disc qualifies
in every way as the perfect introduction.
Zane Turner
Robert Barto (baroque lute) 
