This disc contains music from manuscripts put together in Switzerland over a period of about 250 years. Although some pieces reflect Swiss traditional music, most are of an international character. Listening to this disc one will recognize several melodies which have been sung and played in other countries as well. The manuscripts from which these pieces have been taken, were put together to be played at home. It gives some idea of the kind of repertoire played at home from the end of the 16th century until the early 19th century.

The range of instruments for which the music was originally written also reflect the changing tastes and the developments in music history. The first manuscript contains music for the lute. Some pieces are played here in an arrangement for recorder and lute. Sometimes this works well, but there are also pieces which are so idiomatically written for the lute that a performance with recorder is unsatisfactory.

That is also the case in the second group of pieces, from a manuscript with keyboard music, in particular harpsichord and spinet. They are all played on recorder and lute, and in some cases the results are unconvincing.

The second half of this disc is played on transverse flute with theorbo or guitar. The Salis-manuscript of 1681 contains pieces which were composed for strings and bass - according to the liner notes two violins, viola and cello. It doesn't really surprise that a performance with transverse flute works best, as flute and violin are more closely connected than recorder and lute or harpsichord. In the 17th and 18th centuries violin and flute were often handled as alternatives by composers of sonatas and suites.

The last group of pieces comes from a manuscript of music for guitar. Here they are played on flute and guitar and this combination works relatively well.

This isn't great music by any means. These pieces were written for private performance, and are probably more fun to play than to hear. Although the disc plays for just over 50 minutes, I had trouble in listening to it at one stretch. One is well advised to consume this kind of music in small portions.

There is nothing wrong with the playing of both artists. But on the whole I feel that this music is more of a curiosity than something which deserves to be recorded and listened to over and over again. The recital would have been more satisfying if the music had been played on the instruments for which it was intended.

Johan van Veen

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