Album

The early French Baroque has been relatively slow to catch on in historical performance circles, at least outside France, probably because it's more difficult for the listener than the melancholy viol music of England or the spectacularly passionate vocal works of Monteverdi. The larger French genres are unfamiliar and involve a visual aspect that would be difficult if not impossible to re-create. As for chamber music, the French repertoire contains a mixed bag of genres, with imported music (has there ever been a period of French musical history in which there wasn't a dispute between partisans of French and of Italian music) competing with the native air de cour (court air) and with instrumental styles, including those involving the lute. Even at this early date, Spanish music too held a special fascination in Paris. This pan-continental disc, with Belgian tenor Stephan van Dyck paired with a group of mostly Austrian string players, offers a near-perfect introduction to this period of French music. As the title of the album suggests, the idea of the love song loosely ties the program together. Instrumental pieces, most of dance-oriented works for lute, are interspersed among various languages of love; it is noteworthy how even the lifelong French composer Etienne Moulinié was setting Italian texts (such as the extremely seductive Stelle homicide [Murderous Stars, track 7]) at this point. The first segments of the program are devoted to the French air de cour, a simple strophic song seemingly governed by a variety of restrictions. Then things broaden out and explore the new musical currents rushing across Europe in the first half of the seventeenth century. Sample two successive instrumental works, the Caravanda Ciacona of the apparently Spanish guitarist Luis de Briçeño (track 12), with vigorously strummed rhythms that suggest nothing so much as rock & roll power chords, and then the viol Symphonie of Louis Couperin, one of the later works on the album. The contrast in moods is lovely. The entire album has this kind of pleasing variety that entertains as it instructs. Van Dyck's remarkably gentle and limpid high tenor is another major contributor to the delight, and all of the diverse performing forces brought together here interact superbly. The sound environment of the Austrian castle used is ideal. In all, this is a must-have Baroque disc that will alter the perceptions even of devoted listeners to music of the period.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide

CD 1
Vincent Composer Le Phoenix, for voice & continuo Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
1	Le Phoenix, for voice & continuo	2:23			$0.99
Pierre Guédron Composer Quoy? faut-il donc qu'Amour Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
2	Quoy? faut-il donc qu'Amour	4:26			$0.99
Pierre Guédron Composer Aux Plaisirs, Aux Delices Bergeres Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
3	Aux Plaisirs, Aux Delices Bergeres	3:47			$0.99
Robert Ballard Composer Première entrée de luth Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Hugh Sandilands Lute
4	Première entrée de luth	1:07			$0.99
Robert Ballard Composer Angélique Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Luciano Contini Lute
5	Angélique	2:16			$0.99
Giovanni Paolo Foscarini Composer Folia, for consort Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
6	Folia, for consort	2:31			$0.99
Etienne Moulinié Composer O Stelle homicide, for voice & consort Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
7	O Stelle homicide, for voice & consort	1:39			$0.99
Luigi Rossi Composer L'Augellino, for voice and continuo Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Luciano Contini Lute, Pierre Pitzl Viola da Gamba
8	L'Augellino, for voice and continuo	3:23			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Que faites-vous, Sylvie? Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
9	Que faites-vous, Sylvie?	2:42			$0.99
Francesco Corbetta Composer Passecaglia Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Pierre Pitzl Guitar (Baroque)
10	Passecaglia	2:16			$0.99
Etienne Moulinié Composer Airs for voice with lute tablature, Book 1 (1624), complete Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Pierre Pitzl Guitar (Baroque)
11	Orilla del claro Tajo	1:50			$0.99
Luis de Briçeño Composer Caravanda ciacona, for consort Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
12	Caravanda ciacona, for consort	1:43			$0.99
Louis Couperin Composer 5 Simphonies, for viols (Pièces pour les violes) Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Eva Neunhäuserer Viola da Gamba, Pierre Pitzl Viola da Gamba
13	Symphonie	3:28			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Iris N'Est Plus, Mon Iris M'est Ravie Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Hugh Sandilands Guitar (Baroque), Luciano Contini Lute, Pierre Pitzl Guitar (Baroque)
14	Iris N'Est Plus, Mon Iris M'est Ravie	2:38			$0.99
Angelo Michele Bartolotti Composer Prelude Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Pierre Pitzl Guitar (Baroque)
15	Prelude	1:20			$0.99
Angelo Michele Bartolotti Composer Courante, for guitar Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Pierre Pitzl Guitar (Baroque)
16	Courante, for guitar	1:40			$0.99
Angelo Michele Bartolotti Composer Canarie, for guitar Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Pierre Pitzl Guitar (Baroque)
17	Canarie, for guitar	1:20			$0.99
Francesco Cavalli Composer Gli Amori d'Apollo e di Dafne (opera) Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
18	Lamento di Apollo	7:29			$1.49
Pierre Guédron Composer Un Jour l'amoureuse Silvie Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
19	Un Jour l'amoureuse Silvie	3:33			$0.99
Giovanni Paolo Foscarini Composer Zarabanda detta la favorita, for consort Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Private Musicke Ensemble
20	Zarabanda detta la favorita, for consort	2:19			$0.99