Recordings for lute and related instruments

[Mandryka]

You won't be surprised to learn that Toru Sakurada studied with Toyohiko Satoh. 

[milk]

You won't be surprised to learn that Toru Sakurada studied with Toyohiko Satoh.

Makes sense. Have you ever seen a lute performance live?

[Mandryka]

Makes sense. Have you ever seen a lute performance live?

Yes but not solo, at least not that I remember. The last time I saw a lute it was part of a staging of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme with Lully's music, the lutenist in the band was Thomas Dunford. It was memorable because the instrument was so weird, with its long neck.

[milk]

Yes but not solo, at least not that I remember. The last time I saw a lute it was part of a staging of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme with Lully's music, the lutenist in the band was Thomas Dunford. It was memorable because the instrument was so weird, with its long neck.

Some day I'd like to see some early music, early Spanish music, guitar and/or lute performances. I'm sure Jordi Savall would be a fund concert but of course it's hard to find in Japan where I live. And stuff sells out rather fast here too. Satoh is bopping around Europe I'm sure.

[Vinbrulé]

A bunch of pieces attributed to Ennemond Gaultier and other lutenists of the same period.  Easy listening. Good sound and nice performances.
But the timing is shamefully short ( a bit more 40' )   
Nevertheless a worthy addition to the CD library

[Vinbrulé]

In short ,  two desert island discs !!!!
I cannot find weaknesses , this music is beautiful from beginning to end, a quiet but not soporific proceeding from Waters, and the alternation of major and minor keys helps prevent ( unlikely ) falls in attention from the listener.
Only a minus :  in the editing process they have brutally cut the resonance of the last chord in some number (really very few , see the Gavotte track 22 in CD 1 )
I hope William Waters is projecting to record the remaining Reusner's output , so I could take it with me on the desert island , together with these two.

[Mandryka]

Thanks for these comments, it looks like there are two recordings I'll have to check out soon, the Winters and the Poirier. At the moment I'm enjoying very much Sigrun Richter's Pierre Gaultier.

[milk]

This is the music of François Campion on baroque guitar played by Michel Amoric. The recording sound and instrument are much better here than on Bernhard Hofstötter's recording of Campion. I don't know anything about Amoric but his performance is convincing. 

I'd like to plug this:

That's "Nunca Más Verán Mis Ojos" by Alfred Fernández. It's vocal music transcribed for vihuela. I think Fernández is quite good.

[milk]

Toru Sakurada is an angel, this is a recording of an angel playing a vihuela.

Sometimes you find a performance which totally disarms all criticism. That is the case for Toru Sakurada's Narváez. He has the knack of getting to the very cantabile heaven of the music, and his extraordinary skill at making the vihuela sing is what is so disarming. This siren song, seductive siren song, is just soooooooooo beautiful that all the knee jerk critical responses (over-simplify, well behaved . . . ) are just words, words, words in the face of this angelic purity.

Like Satoh, Sakurada chooses a very tasty sounding instrument. I like this more and more.

[Mandryka]

Like Satoh, Sakurada chooses a very tasty sounding instrument. I like this more and more.

It's the tempos which make it so interesting, he has the courage to play slowly, so that any taint of virtuosity is eradicated. I think he has the skill to pull it off too, or nearly.

[Omicron9]

In short ,  two desert island discs !!!!
I cannot find weaknesses , this music is beautiful from beginning to end, a quiet but not soporific proceeding from Waters, and the alternation of major and minor keys helps prevent ( unlikely ) falls in attention from the listener.
Only a minus :  in the editing process they have brutally cut the resonance of the last chord in some number (really very few , see the Gavotte track 22 in CD 1 )
I hope William Waters is projecting to record the remaining Reusner's output , so I could take it with me on the desert island , together with these two.

Agreed.  My copy arrived a couple of weeks ago, and it is beautiful.  Well-recorded, and Reusner's work is baroque; yet lyrical.   A must-have set for lute fans.

-09

[Omicron9]

In short ,  two desert island discs !!!!
I cannot find weaknesses , this music is beautiful from beginning to end, a quiet but not soporific proceeding from Waters, and the alternation of major and minor keys helps prevent ( unlikely ) falls in attention from the listener.
Only a minus :  in the editing process they have brutally cut the resonance of the last chord in some number (really very few , see the Gavotte track 22 in CD 1 )
I hope William Waters is projecting to record the remaining Reusner's output , so I could take it with me on the desert island , together with these two.

Agreed.  My copy arrived a couple of weeks ago, and it is beautiful.  Well-recorded, and Reusner's work is baroque; yet lyrical.   A must-have set for lute fans.

-09

[milk]

It's the tempos which make it so interesting, he has the courage to play slowly, so that any taint of virtuosity is eradicated. I think he has the skill to pull it off too, or nearly.

I think so too. It's a complaint I have with some of the baroque guitar music I've been listening to lately (Carter is the only great solo De Murcia recording - I found out the hard way): too much virtuosity.

[milk]

This performer makes de Murcia sound like a chore IMO. Recordings by Carter and Liselevan are much better. Lindberg's solo recording of de Murcia is spotty but has some moments. Bonavita is better too, though nowhere near Carter. William Waters has an old recording with absurdly bad sound. That's a shame because I sense his approach to the music is interesting. ETA: the Waters' sound isn't so bad and worthwhile. Not close to ideal though: too much reverb. Sounds like a lute.

[milk]

What are your favorite ensemble recordings that feature lute, Vihuela or guitar?

[Vinbrulé]

Well, here we have a small ensemble that features a baroque guitar, an archlute and a theorbo , and no other instruments !!   
And they play very well together.  Music by Andrea Falconieri and others.

[milk]

Well, here we have a small ensemble that features a baroque guitar, an archlute and a theorbo , and no other instruments !!   
And they play very well together.  Music by Andrea Falconieri and others.

I'm going to check this out!!!!
Meanwhile, for solo baroque guitar, this 20-year old recordings is really something special. I don't know how to explain it exactly but there's a real difference between Smith, who really makes magic and has a strong view of the music and a natural feel, and some of the lesser known players who approach this repertoire more like "guitarists" and, IMO, fail by doing so. When I hear someone showing off I get turned off. But Smith is a true artist I think.   

[Alek Hidell]

Like Omicron9 said earlier, I've really been enjoying reading this thread. I love the sound of the lute and these other similar-sounding instruments. I have a feeling my credit card company is going to love the sound of the cash register ringing with the purchases I'll be making as a result.

And milk, I'm glad to see that you're still around and posting! I know you've been having quite a time being able even to see GMG since the server changeover.

[milk]

Like Omicron9 said earlier, I've really been enjoying reading this thread. I love the sound of the lute and these other similar-sounding instruments. I have a feeling my credit card company is going to love the sound of the cash register ringing with the purchases I'll be making as a result.

And milk, I'm glad to see that you're still around and posting! I know you've been having quite a time being able even to see GMG since the server changeover.

I can get on about once a day on the macbook. I love this thread in particular. When I'm working, I use my ipad. Anyway, thanks! It's interesting how unpredictable musical tastes can be. I suddenly got interested lute-related stuff and now I'm obsessed!

[milk]

Diaz-latorre is a really imaginative musician. For an ensemble rendering of Sanz, I think this is as fine as any. Actually, it's a duo. This is as good as anything Liselevand has done. It's got a great improvisatory feel. Very stirring.