Error processing SSI file

Un’ alma innamorata – A Soul in Love: Cantatas for soprano, violin and basso continuo
Samuel CAPRICORNUS (1628-1665)

Surrexit pastor bonus [04:13]
Tarquinio MERULA (c1595-1665)

Cantate, jubilate [04:09]
Dietrich BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707)

Singet dem Herrn (BuxWV 98) [08:26]
Daniel PURCELL (c1664-1717)

Amintas [05:48]
Antono VIVALDI (1678-1741)

Lungi dal vago volto (RV 680) [13:57]
George Frederic HANDEL (1685-1759)

Un’alma innamorata (HWV 173) [14:52]
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)

Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden (TWV 1,694) (from: Harmonischer Gottesdienst, 1725/26) [07:42]
Kentish Town, London DDD
Linda Perillo, soprano
Cordaria: Walter Reiter (violin and director), Cath Sharman (cello), Jo Levine (viola da gamba), Lynda Sayce (theorbo, baroque guitar), Paula Chateauneuf (chitarrone), Jan Walters (triple harp), Timothy Roberts (harpsichord, organ)
Recorded in November 2000 and February 2001 at St Silas’ Church, Kentish Town, London DDD
SIGNUM – SIGCD033 [59:10]
CD available for post-free online mail-order or you may download individual tracks. For some labels you can download the entire CD with a single click and make HUGE savings. The price you see is the price you pay! The full booklet notes are available on-line.

NOTE • Click on the button and you can buy the disc or read the booklet details • You can also access each track which you may then sample or down load. • Further Information.


The programme on this CD consists of music for voice and violin from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 17th century, in particular in Italy, the violin was considered the most expressive instrument. Numerous sonatas, capriccios, sinfonias and canzonas were written for the violin. And it was also thought to be able to imitate the human voice (alongside the cornet). Therefore it is no surprise that many composers wrote pieces for solo voice and violin with basso continuo. Voice and violin were treated equally: the violin isn’t merely ‘accompanying’ the voice. In the 18th century the violin had to compete with other instruments.

Telemann is a good example of a composer who paid almost equal attention to all kinds of instruments: his collection ‘Harmonischer Gottesdienst’ contains cantatas for solo voice with one melody instrument: violin, but also recorder, transverse flute and oboe. And although Vivaldi was a virtuoso violinist, he composed only one cantata for voice and violin, the one recorded here. Composers used the combination of voice and violin to achieve a maximum of expression. Unfortunately that is not what this recording delivers.

Linda Perillo has a nice voice, crisp and clear, without a ‘wobble’. She is at her best in more introverted passages, like the middle section of the sacred concerto by Capricornus.

Sample track 1

She clearly tries to express the emotions in the recitatives of the secular cantatas by Vivaldi and Handel, but the range of her possibilities seems too limited. There is a lack of dynamic contrast and her articulation isn’t very clear. The pronunciation of the German texts is anything but perfect and her Italian doesn’t sound very natural to me – as far as I, being non-Italian, can tell.

There is a general lack of contrast in the ensemble playing. In Buxtehude’s cantata the contrast between the first line – "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied" (Sing unto the Lord a new song) – and the second – "denn er macht Wunder" (for he has done marvellous things) – sounds far too harmless.

Sample track 3

Walter Reiter's playing isn’t very colourful and is somewhat one-dimensional. Most of the time he plays legato, without a clear distinction between important and less important notes – ‘good’ notes and ‘bad’ notes, as they were called in the 18th century.

There is a general lack of drama in this recording: everything sounds nice and neat, but there is no excitement whatsoever.

Sample track 9

The recording technique doesn’t help: the sound is a little flat and the volume is on the low side.

I am afraid one sentence in the booklet illustrates what is missing here. Brian Clark writes that in the cantata by Telemann the two arias are separated by a "somewhat declamatory" recitative, as if that is something very peculiar. But basically all baroque music – vocal or instrumental – is ‘declamatory’. If the musicians had realised this, the result would have been a lot better.


Johan van Veen


CD Price: £ 11.50 Post-free Air Mail World-wide
- Download Price:
£ 8.27
Buy CD:
Download all tracks:




FREE SOUND SAMPLES
(minimum 30 secs)
Click on the appropriate link. On the next page click on braodband beneath the CD cover

View track details:
CDTnº1 - S. CAPRICORNUS
Surrexit pastor bonus
CDTnº2 - T. MERULA
Cantate Jubilate
CDTnº3 - D. BUXTEHUDE
Singet dem Herrn
CDTnº4 - D. PURCELL
Amintas
CDTnº5 - A. VIVALDI
Lungi dal vago volto
CDTnº6 - A. VIVALDI
Lungi dal vago volto
CDTnº7 - A. VIVALDI
Lungi dal vago volto
CDTnº8 - A. VIVALDI
Lungi dal vago volto
CDTnº9 - G.F. HANDEL
Un'alma innamorata
CDTnº10 - G.F. HANDEL
Un'alma innamorata
CDTnº11 - G.F. HANDEL
Un'alma innamorata
CDTnº12 - G.F. HANDEL
Un'alma innamorata
CDTnº13 - G.F. HANDEL
Un'alma innamorata
CDTnº14 - G.P. TELEMANN
Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden
CDTnº15 - G.P. TELEMANN
Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden
CDTnº16 - G.P. TELEMANN
Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden




You require QuickTime to listed to samples.

Get a free QuickTime download here



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • You can sample only 30 seconds (or 15% if that is longer) of a given track. Select from the View tracks list. Each sample will normally start from the beginning but you can drag the slider to any position before pressing play. • PLEASE NOTE: If you are behind a firewall and the sound is prematurely terminated you may need to register Ludwig as a trusted source with your firewall software. •You will need Quicktime to hear sound samples. Get a free Quicktime download here • If you cannot see the "Sample All Tracks" button you need to download Flash from here.

Return to Index

Error processing SSI file