Frescobaldi
occupies a position of particular importance in the history
of keyboard music. Famously precocious as an organist -
and, indeed, as a singer - he was the subject of encomiastic
poems while still in his early teens and seems to have
made tours of Italy rather in the later vein of the young
Mozart. He was a student of Luzzasco Luzzaschi, organist
to the duke of Ferrara; soon he was working in Rome and
he went on to hold important posts there, as well as in
Flanders, Mantua and Florence. His own pupils included,
at one time or another, Luigi Battiferri, Francesco Muti,
Valerio Spada and Jakob Johann Froberger.
Frescobaldi’s
writing for keyboard – which is outstanding in the period
in terms both of its quality and its surviving bulk – is
grounded in the traditions of counterpoint well established
at the Ferrarese court and, no doubt, inculcated by his
studies with Luzzaschi. But he continued to grow and innovate
throughout his career. His music incorporated and synthesised
many other influences, not least those of contemporary
vocal music, at both popular and sophisticated levels.
Its own influence on later composers for the keyboard was
immense.
The
present CD assembles materials not published during Frescobaldi’s
lifetime, which were gathered, under the title
Keyboard
Compositions Preserved in Manuscripts by W.R.
Shindle (1968), drawing on three manuscripts in the library
of the Vatican as well as manuscripts in the Biblioteca
Nazionale in Turin, the British Library in London and the
Staatbibliotek in Berlin - manuscripts which appear to
belong to the years between 1630 and 1650. Though these
works may not have been published by Frescobaldi, they
are far from being mere leftovers. Many of them are striking
compositions and they benefit here from the attentions
of a fine performer making use of an instrument well suited
to the music.
Martha
Folts here plays an instrument made by Jerome de Zentis
in Rome in 1658 - and, incidentally, richly decorated -
which was owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York from the 1880s until sold in recent years. After its
sale by the museum, the instrument was restored by Keith
Hill who contributes a note on the instrument to the CD
booklet. It sounds as exquisitely handsome as it looks,
and Martha Folts makes full and expressive use of the considerable
musical resources it offers her.
In her booklet notes,
Folts draws attention to the preface of one of Frescobaldi’s
1615 publications, his
Primo libro di toccate, where
the composer says that the player of his works should approach
them with the new madrigal style in mind – that is, solo
song with instrumental accompaniment. In Folt’s words, “this
new style was characterized by flexibility of tempo, a
variety of
affetti (embellishments) and uneven treatment
of the rhythm, all with the purpose of interpreting the
text with more soul”. Folts’ own playing on this CD certainly
takes up Frescobaldi’s invitation; she interprets the notes
on the page with an always intelligent freedom and the
music consistently comes across with brilliance and expressiveness.
Unafraid of strong contrasts of tempo, there is at times
an almost improvisational air to some of Folts’ playing.
As I made notes on repeated hearings, my list of individual
pieces which I found particularly enjoyable grew so extensive
as to incorporate almost everything on the CD! If you like
- as you should! - interpretations of Frescobaldi’s keyboard
writing which do justice to the vitality of his inventiveness,
which communicate a vitalised and vitalising energy – and
which are well recorded – you need look no further than
this outstanding CD.
Glyn Pursglove
see also review by Johann van Veen
Martha Folts
(harpsichord) 
