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Dante Ferrara - Rosasolis
Apart from a couple of tracks of lively dance tunes from Playford’s English Dancing Master, Dante Ferrara’s second album replaces English music for lute with the wire-strung orpharion to give a delicate, almost ethereal sound to the already much-adored late Tudor repertoire. Among these tunes are works for cittern by Holborne, Allison and Robinson. This album features three citterns - all 4-course: chromatic, diatonic and tenor.
The album is arranged into three listening sections. The first, Music for Oak Panels, provides the major part with music from Dowland, both Johnsons, Cutting and Robinson. The second, The Great Outdoors, gives the listener two medleys of English country dance tunes, robustly played on hurdy gurdy along with guest musician Michael Sargeant on recorders, bagpipes and crumhorn. He continues by accompanying in the third section called The Top Shelf, a five track selection of gently bawdy and humorous ballads for voice and cittern.
Review:
This record is almost incomparable: I know of no other where the gut-strung lute family is entirely forsaken for its wire-strung relatives. The recording is close-miked and assertive.
Music for Oak Panels is a sequence of late Elizabethan and Jacobean dance pieces and the lion’s share of these is taken by a 9-course orpharion by Peter Forrester, and very fine it sounds most of the time. Ferrara seems to have a particular affinity with John Johnson: his playing of both ‘The Delight Pavan’ and its associated galliard is truly a delight. Stylistically he is a very solid, sound player whose sense of pulse is pretty well perfect, and who rarely even slows at the final cadence in the dances. This is absolutely to be encouraged in my opinion.
The second section is The Great Outdoors, which comprises just two medleys of anonymous and Playford dance tunes, arranged in settings that include bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy and have just the right edge to them.
The final section is entitled The Top Shelf. I confess I love honest bawdry and fortunately these are at the healthy bawdy end. Nothing to scare the horses (or the children).
I rather hope this record inspires other leading players to explore a solid body of golden age music on orpharion. It could be a very fertile avenue to explore.
The Lute Society
Apart from a couple of tracks of lively dance tunes from Playford’s English Dancing Master, Dante Ferrara’s second album replaces English music for lute with the wire-strung orpharion to give a delicate, almost ethereal sound to the already much-adored late Tudor repertoire. Among these tunes are works for cittern by Holborne, Allison and Robinson. This album features three citterns - all 4-course: chromatic, diatonic and tenor.
The album is arranged into three listening sections. The first, Music for Oak Panels, provides the major part with music from Dowland, both Johnsons, Cutting and Robinson. The second, The Great Outdoors, gives the listener two medleys of English country dance tunes, robustly played on hurdy gurdy along with guest musician Michael Sargeant on recorders, bagpipes and crumhorn. He continues by accompanying in the third section called The Top Shelf, a five track selection of gently bawdy and humorous ballads for voice and cittern.
Review:
This record is almost incomparable: I know of no other where the gut-strung lute family is entirely forsaken for its wire-strung relatives. The recording is close-miked and assertive.
Music for Oak Panels is a sequence of late Elizabethan and Jacobean dance pieces and the lion’s share of these is taken by a 9-course orpharion by Peter Forrester, and very fine it sounds most of the time. Ferrara seems to have a particular affinity with John Johnson: his playing of both ‘The Delight Pavan’ and its associated galliard is truly a delight. Stylistically he is a very solid, sound player whose sense of pulse is pretty well perfect, and who rarely even slows at the final cadence in the dances. This is absolutely to be encouraged in my opinion.
The second section is The Great Outdoors, which comprises just two medleys of anonymous and Playford dance tunes, arranged in settings that include bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy and have just the right edge to them.
The final section is entitled The Top Shelf. I confess I love honest bawdry and fortunately these are at the healthy bawdy end. Nothing to scare the horses (or the children).
I rather hope this record inspires other leading players to explore a solid body of golden age music on orpharion. It could be a very fertile avenue to explore.
The Lute Society