The chitarrone was a large relative of the lute, at first nearly interchangeable with the more common theorbo. As the instrument developed in the 17th century, it acquired several sets of low strings and a repertory designed to exploit its varied capabilities: it could render operatic-type declamations with booming basses, polyphonic songs, dense ricercar-like constructions, and most commonly difficult variation sets that displayed its whole range. The instrument is an unwieldy thing (the example played here has 15 courses), and the number of people worldwide who can play it competently is not large. Swedish player Jakob Lindberg is equal to its challenges, and this album...
The chitarrone was a large relative of the lute, at first nearly interchangeable with the more common theorbo. As the instrument developed in the 17th century, it acquired several sets of low strings and a repertory designed to exploit its varied capabilities: it could render operatic-type declamations with booming basses, polyphonic songs, dense ricercar-like constructions, and most commonly difficult variation sets that displayed its whole range. The instrument is an unwieldy thing (the example played here has 15 courses), and the number of people worldwide who can play it competently is not large. Swedish player Jakob Lindberg is equal to its challenges, and this album presents a good sampling of the instrument's Italian repertory from the early 17th century (Giovanni Kapsberger, though born in Germany, moved to Italy as a young man and adopted an Italian name). There are a few study-like pieces, such as the "Arpeggiata" from Kapsberger's Book I, but most of the music lives up to the promised virtuoso billing. Sample one of the larger ground bass pieces, such as the "Romanesca con partite variate" of Alessandro Piccinini (track 10) for the full effect. This was music that developed contemporaneously with the forerunners of opera in the salons of artistically interested members of the powerful Medici and Barberini families, and along with the fireworks there's a certain intellectual streak. It's visible in such pieces as Kapsberger's "Colascione" and the self-referential Kapsberger from Book 4 of his chitarrone pieces, published in 1640. Some of the more arcane devices involve fingering on the chitarrone; they're explained in the booklet but require focus for the general listener (toward whom this album is not really aimed). The BIS label does not help with its church engineering, which picks up extraneous instrument noises that an audience of Italian princes in a lushly appointed room would never have heard. Still, for those who love the lute and its relatives, this is a skilled examination of a fascinating and all-but-unknown repertory.
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Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide - James Manheim
The chitarrone was a large relative of the lute, at first nearly interchangeable with the more common theorbo. As the instrument developed in the 17th century, it acquired several sets of low strings and a repertory designed to exploit its varied capabilities: it could render operatic-type declamations with booming basses, polyphonic songs, dense ricercar-like constructions, and most commonly difficult variation sets that displayed its whole range. The instrument is an unwieldy thing (the example played here has 15 courses), and the number of people worldwide who can play it competently is not large. Swedish player Jakob Lindberg is equal to its challenges, and this album...