BEIRACH | HUEBNER | MRAZ — Round About Monteverdi (2003) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Following early interpretations of the music of Béla Bartók and Federico Mompou, pianist Richie Beirach is once again joined by violinist Gregor Huebner and bassist George Mraz for a series of stunning interpretations of classical music, though most of this CD is devoted to the compositions of early Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi. The mournful opener, Lamento d'Arianna, is the only remaining fragment of Monteverdi's lost opera Arianna. Beirach opens Don Carlo Gesualdo's Responsorium No. 5 (from his Sabato Sancto) alone, then ducks out as the bowed strings work their magic. Palestrina's Chant opens elegantly, then Mraz switches to a pizzicato line, with Huebner gradually making his way from the outer fringes, with Beirach eventually adding a passionate improvisation. Beirach's moving improvisation of Monteverdi's Orfeos Lament is spacious, followed by a brief fantasy upon the theme featuring wild pizzicato violin and occasionally hand-muted piano in an intense setting. Mraz, who assisted Beirach and Huebner with their arrangements, is solely responsible for Fantasy on Fili Mi, Absalon, a composition by Heinrich Schütz. Rarely heard unaccompanied on bass, Mraz makes the most of this opportunity with a powerful effort. No exploration of Baroque music is complete with venturing into the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, and Mraz's solo improvised introduction to Siciliano is every bit as powerful. He accompanies Beirach's brilliant improvisation, though the theme is never stated until Huebner joins in, taking the music down paths its composer could have never imagined. This outstanding release will cause more than a few jazz fans to search out classical recordings of these timeless works if they aren't already familiar with them. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1    Lamento D'Arianna 1:31
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
2    Responsorium #5 4:18
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Carlo Gesualdo
3    Eja Mater Fons Amoris 5:50
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
4    Chant 4:56
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
5    Ben Mio, Rimanti In Pace 4:35
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
6    Orfeos Lament 7:27
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
7    Fantasy On Orfeos Lament 1:14
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
8    Fantasy On Fili Mi, Absalon 2:48
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – George Mraz
Composed By – Heinrich Schütz
9    Dialog Orfeo Messanger 4:18
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
10    Around Dialog Orfeo Messanger 3:07
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
11    Sancta Mater, Istud Agas 6:06
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
12    Siciliana 5:59
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Johan Sebastian Bach
13    Fantasy On Lamento D'Arianna 4:31
Arranged By [Arrangement By] – Gregor Huebner, Richie Beirach
Arranged By [Arrangement With Enormous Help From] – George Mraz
Composed By – Claudio Monteverdi
Credits :
Artwork [Coverart ©] – Mimmo Paladino
Bass – George Mraz
Piano – Richie Beirach
Violin – Gregor Huebner

STOCKHOLM CHAMBER BRASS - Then : Renaissance Airs and Dances (2017) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

FRANCISCO DE LA TORRE
Danza Alta sobre La Spagna

TIELMAN SUSATO
Basse danse "Mon Desir" / Gaillarde 2 - Allemaigne 8 / Recoupe / Recoupe aliud / Danse du Roy / Pavane "Mille Regretz" / Bergerette "Sans Roch"

CARLO GESUALDO
Tu m'uccidi, o crudele (Madrigali libro quinto, 1611) / T'amo, mia vita

JOHN DOWLAND
The Earl of Essex Galiard /  Semper Dowland semper Dolens / Lachrimæ / The Frog Galiard

SUITE RENAISSANCE
Tourdion (Anon., publ. Paris 1530) / Je l'ayme bien (Orlando di Lasso) / Branle double, La Vielle (Claude Gervaise) / Vous me tuez si doucement (Jacques Mauduit - Au joly bois (Anon., publ. Paris 1531) ...

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
Sinfonia & Moresca from L'Orfeo / Pur ti miro / Sinfonia a 7 from L'Orfeo / Damigella tutta bella

STOCKHOLM CHAMBER BRASS

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : L'Orfeo (La Venexiana) Book + 2xCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Libro dei Madrigali, Books 1 & 9 (La Venexiana) (2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Secondo Libro dei Madrigali (La Venexiana) (2004) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

La Venexiana's Secondo Libro del Madrigali is the second volume in an edition devoted to the recording of all eight of Claudio Monteverdi's madrigal collections undertaken by the Spanish label Glossa. In promotional materials for the series, Glossa admits that this is a "time when 'complete' recordings seem to be coming less meaningful and attractive for the music lover" but have decided that there is need for such a series, especially as La Venexiana is so well-versed in the madrigals of Monteverdi. For once this is not hype; at present the competition in a book-by-book survey of Monteverdi's madrigals consists of Rinaldo Alessandrini on Opus 111, recorded in the 1990s, and Anthony Rooley with the Consort of Musicke on Virgin, recorded back in the 1980s. Both of these cycles have their virtues and are expertly performed, although Alessandrini's recording is very dry and his sopranos are a tad loud in comparison to the men. Rooley's group contains some very famous singers, including Emma Kirkby and Evelyn Tubb, and the personalities of these very individual voices radiate through the texture. One could count this as a plus or a minus depending on whether the listener likes these vocalists, or prefers a more unified sound in the interpretation of Monteverdi's madrigals.

There are no star performers in La Venexiana and the approach to both singing and sound is consistent throughout. Secondo Libro del Madrigali was recorded in the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara and is a little quiet in volume, but the voices blend very well with no sharp edges. The bass in La Venexiana, Daniele Carnovich, is in particular outstanding and deserves singling out, but overall Secondo Libro del Madrigali seems to touch all the right bases in terms of what Monteverdi intends to convey through the music. The second book of 1590 contains early Monteverdi madrigals and includes some individual pieces that remain among the most popular of his short works in this genre. If one is looking for a single disc out of Glossa's Monteverdi Edition in order to sample the whole project, this is a good place to start. by Uncle Dave Lewis  

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Terzo Libro dei Madrigali (La Venexiana) (2002) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Quarto Libro dei Madrigali (La Venexiana) (2004) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Quinto Libro dei Madrigali (La Venexiana) (2007) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Sesto Libro dei Madrigali - 1614 (La Venexiana) (2005) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Concerto Settimo Libro dei Madrigali (La Venexiana) 2xCD (2004) Mp3

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI : Ottavo Libro dei Madrigali - Madrigali Guerrieri et Amorosi (La Venexiana) 3xCD (2005) Mp3