Album

Anne-Sofie von Otter's Music for a While finds her diving into geographically diverse songs of the Baroque period with the same flair and joyful curiosity that animate all of her projects. She shows a refreshing willingness to change her vocal sound and technique to suit the task at hand, leaving whatever operatic ego she carries with her at the door. Not that her work here would ever be confused with that of an early music specialist: listeners with strong opinions on the "correct" sound for this music may find themselves unable to accept the obvious warmth, flexibility, and potential amplitude of von Otter's sumptuous pipes. But it would be hard to accuse her of approaching this music with anything but respect, love, and the clear intention to realize it on its own terms. Anything else is academic.

The croony cooing, bent tones, and occasional chesty brashness of the opening track, Benedetto Ferrari's Amanti, io vi so dire (Lovers, I can tell you), should be enough to alert listeners that they're in for a different kind of Anne-Sofie experience; delivered over a danceable Baroque guitar ostinato (eventually joined by harpsichord and theorbo), it sets an amiable tone for the album. It also puts the energetic and finely textured playing of lutenist/theorbist Jakob Lindberg and harpsichordist Jory Vinikour on display; their inventive instrumental realizations are the sonic glue binding the entire album together. Among the solo instrumental selections they contribute, Giovanni Kapsberger's Arpeggiata stands out as particularly interesting, since it casts the theorbo in a very different light from that of its usual role as a basso continuo component.

Overall the album succeeds well on its own terms, although the Dowland songs and some of the Purcell selections sound too easygoing, too emotionally uncomplicated. The intimacy is present, but the intensity is often missing, undercut by the deliberately scaled down nature of von Otter's delivery. But her sense of phrasing and general affect is spot on, as is her English diction.

© Allen Schrott, All Music Guide

CD 1
Benedetto Ferrari Composer Amanti, io vi so dire Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord, Jakob Lindberg Guitar (Baroque), Anders Ericson Theorbo
1	Amanti, io vi so dire	4:50			$0.99
Girolamo Frescobaldi Composer Arie musicali per cantarsi, primo libro, for 1-3 voices and continuo, C.5 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Guitar (Baroque), Anders Ericson Theorbo
2	15.Se l'aura spira	2:32			$0.99
Giulio Romano Caccini Composer Dovrò dunque morire Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Anders Ericson Theorbo
3	Dovrò dunque morire	2:30			$0.99
Claudio Monteverdi Composer Ecco di dolci raggi, SV249, No.1 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
4	Ecco di dolci raggi, SV249, No.1	2:16			$0.99
Claudio Monteverdi Composer Quel sguardo sdegnosetto, SV247, No.1 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
5	Quel sguardo sdegnosetto, SV247, No.1	1:58			$0.49
Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger Composer Capona (Intavolatura di chitarrone, Book 4) Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Anders Ericson Theorbo
6	Capona (Intavolatura di chitarrone, Book 4)	1:26			$0.49
Claudio Monteverdi Composer L'incoronazione di Poppea, SV308 (opera)...Act 2 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Organ, Anders Ericson Theorbo
7	15.Sc.10: Adagiati, Poppea, oblivion soave	3:34			$0.99
Barbara Strozzi Composer Udite, amanti Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Lute, Anders Ericson Theorbo
8	Udite, amanti	7:05			$1.49
Bernardo Storace Composer Ciaccona Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
9	Ciaccona	6:13			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Saraband in A-, Z.654 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
10	Saraband in A-, Z.654	1:15			$0.49
Henry Purcell Composer Pausanius, the Betrayer of His Country, Z.585 (tragedy) Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
11	1.Song: Sweeter than roses	3:14			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer The Tempest, Z.631 (semi-opera) Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
12	9.Dear, pretty youth	2:00			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Oedipus, Z.583 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
13	2.Music for a while	2:51			$0.99
Henry Purcell Composer Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, Z.587 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Harpsichord
14	1.There's not a swain	1:29			$0.49
Henry Purcell Composer Now That the Sun Hath Veiled His Light ('An Evening Hymn on a Ground'), Z.193 Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Organ, Jakob Lindberg Theorbo
15	Now That the Sun Hath Veiled His Light ('An Evening Hymn on a Ground'), Z.193	3:41			$0.99
Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger Composer Arpegiatta Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jory Vinikour Organ, Jakob Lindberg Theorbo
16	Arpegiatta	2:18			$0.99
John Dowland Composer In darkness let me dwell Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Lute
17	In darkness let me dwell	4:26			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 5.Can she excuse my wrongs (The Earl of Essex, His Galliard) Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Lute
18	5.Can she excuse my wrongs (The Earl of Essex, His Galliard)	2:39			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 15.Weep you no more, sad fountains Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Lute
19	15.Weep you no more, sad fountains	5:24			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 9.What if I never speed? Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Lute
20	9.What if I never speed?	2:16			$0.99
Robert (ii, d.1633) Johnson Composer Fantasie for lute Work Anne Sofie von Otter Mezzo-Soprano, Jakob Lindberg Lute
21	Fantasie for lute	3:41			$0.99