Recorders Recorded

• Main performer: Saskia Coolen
• Booklet languages: English, German, French
• Time: 67:37
• Release Date: 2004

Review

The sound of the recorder, the flute's predecessor, is not for all tastes, but the museum-quality Dutch recorders on this disc are unusually pleasant to hear as played by Saskia Coolen. The tunings of the accompanying harpsichord and lute are slightly adjusted to match the individual instruments, and the overall level of pitch precision is high. Most of the works included are Dutch suites of small dances from the early eighteenth century; they are graceful things that somehow seem to reflect the domestic market for which they were written. Two works, by Jacobus Nozeman and Arcangelo Corelli, are transcribed from violin, but even these are specific to the milieu explored on the disc; the recorder arrangements date back to the era of the other pieces.

This is a specialist disc, with lots of detail about instrument makers and the like. The material isn't particularly clearly presented; apparently some individual movements, preludes, were newly composed in the style of the other music on the disc, but the tracklist doesn't make clear which ones these are -- or why preludes should come at the ends of pieces in some cases, or why it was really necessary to do this at all. But for those who enjoy playing recorder music or are curious about the instrument, Recorders Recorded offers pleasant listening. ~ James Manheim, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Jacob van Eyck	Bravade	3:23
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for Van Norrdt Sonata, for alto recorder	1:15
Sybrandus van Noordt	Sonata for recorder & continuo in F major (from Opera Prima)	4:39
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for Nozeman Sonata, for tenor recorder	0:45
Jacobus Nozeman	Sonata for violin & continuo No. 4, Op. 1/4	7:30
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for De Fesch Sonata, for soprano recorder	1:22
Willem de Fesch	Sonata for violin & continuo in G major (from 12 Sonatas)	6:48
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Air 15: Menuet)	1:28
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for Bronnemueller Solo, for alto recorder	0:48
Elias Bronnenmüller	Solo for recorder in F major (from Fasciculus musicus)	4:35
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Duets 22 & 26 in G minor: Allemande)	2:15
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Duets 22 & 26 in G minor: Menuet)	1:13
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Duets 22 & 26 in G minor: Corrente)	1:52
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Duets 22 & 26 in G minor: Giga)	1:46
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Duets 22 & 26 in G minor: Gavotta)	0:58
Peeter Piccart	Menuet and Bouree	1:28
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for Corelli Sonata, for soprano recorder	0:49
Arcangelo Corelli	Sonata for violin & continuo in E major, Op. 5/11	7:14
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for Fiocco Sonata, for alto recorder	1:19
Pietro Antonio Fiocco	Sonata for recorder & continuo No. 9 in G minor (from Dix sonates pour les flûtes)	5:12
Johann Christian Schickhardt	Principes de la flûte (Air 10: Sarabande)	1:56
Saskia Coolen	Prelude for Van Wassenaer Soanta, for sopranino recorder	0:30
Count Unico-Wilhelm van Wassenaer	Sonata prima for recorder & continuo in F major	8:32

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