The Renaissance Album

• Main performer: Göran Söllscher
• Booklet languages: English
• Time: 64:59

Review

Swedish classical guitarist Göran Söllscher has a certain following among guitar buffs of all kinds thanks to a unique contraption he plays -- an 11-string guitar, built specifically to allow him, like some of his famous predecessors on the classical guitar, to explore the lute repertory of the Renaissance and Baroque periods more fully. He has previously released an album of Baroque music featuring the instrument, and here he turns his attention to a tour of lute and vihuela music from the High Renaissance, with stops mostly in Spain, Germany, and England. Depending entirely on personal reaction, his guitar is either a brilliant innovation in instrument-building or the kind of invention that tends to imprison its inventor. When Narciso Yepes played the more virtuosically oriented Spanish repertory on a guitar, the technical restrictions of the instrument had a way of adding to the tension in the performance. Söllscher's readings of the Fantasía que contrahaze la harpa en la manera de Ludovico (Fantasy That Imitates the Harp in the Manner of Ludovico, track 1) by Alonso de Mudarra, or the Fantasía de consonancias y redobles (Fantasy of Consonances and Scales), track 23) by Luys Milán, are technical marvels but a trifle mechanical. On the other hand, his way with English music is extremely appealing, and his guitar seems to give him a relaxed, playful quality. All the Dowland pieces have the requisite degree of knowing melancholy; the brief and obtuse A Piece without Title (track 10) will give the Internet sampler a little taste of what's best about this set. Maybe Söllscher is an artist for the Internet era, using technology and skill to bring an intriguing variety of music within his grasp even if he lacks some of the compelling qualities of the players who did it the old-fashioned way. ~ James Manheim, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Alonso de Mudarra	Fantasia que contrahaze la harpa en la manera de Luduvico	1:50
Alonso de Mudarra	Pavan and galliard d'Alexandra, for vihuela	2:16
Peter Philips	Chromatic Pavane and Galliard	5:16
Francesco Canova da Milano	Fantasia No. 11 in F major	1:02
Francesco Canova da Milano	Ricercare for lute No. 57	3:05
Francesco Canova da Milano	Work(s) ([Unspecified] Fantasia in C major)	0:52
Francesco Canova da Milano	Fantasia No. 35 in C minor	0:44
Francesco Canova da Milano	Fantasia No 6	1:30
John Dowland	Lady Hunsdon's Almain (Lady Hunsdon's Puffe), for lute, P 54	1:22
John Dowland	A piece without title, for lute, P 51	0:48
John Dowland	The Shoemaker's Wife, a Toy, for lute, P 58	1:11
Arnolt Schlick	Wer gnad durch klaff	1:14
Hans Neusidler	Der Koningin Tantz	0:57
Hans Neusidler	Ach Elslein	1:42
Hans Neusidler	In liebes brunst	0:54
Hans Neusidler	Der Hupff auff, den must man gar behend, for lute	1:37
John Dowland	Mr Dowland's Midnight, almain for lute, P 99	1:30
John Dowland	Sir John Smith, his Almain, for lute, P 47	2:22
John Dowland	Semper Dowland semper dolens, pavan for lute, P 9	3:47
Simone Molinaro	Work(s) (Ballo detto "Il Conte Orlando" & Saltarello del predetto ballo)	2:16
Luis de Milán	Fantasia de consonancias y redobles	1:59
Luis de Milán	Work(s) (Pavana V & VI)	2:01
Luys de Narváez	Cancion del emperador, for vihuela	2:45
Luys de Narváez	Diferencias (7) for guitar on "Guárdame las vacas"	1:21
John Dowland	Forlorn Hope, fantasie for lute, P 2	4:11
Antony Holborne	Heart's Ease	0:53
Antony Holborne	The Fairie-Round, coranto	1:27
Robert Ballard	Branles de Village: Instrumental	4:31
John Dowland	The Right Honourable Ferdinando Earl of Derby, his Galliard, for lute	2:20
John Dowland	The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, her Galliard (Katherine Darcy's Galliard), for lute, P 41	1:14
John Dowland	Fantasia, for lute in G major, P 1	4:07
John Dowland	My Lord Chamberlain his Galliard, for 2 to play on 1 lute, P 37	1:55

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